Because it's

Rating: 8/10 (10 February 2016)

This film strips away much of the mystique about climbing Mount Everest. It's about the ill-fated 1996 attempt to climb the mountain, when 20 teams lined up to hit the top of the world.
These days, you get the feeling that the path to the top must be littered with bits of discarded equipment, empty drink cans, McDonalds cartons, and of course, the odd dead body. Over time, the Nepalese authorities have also become worried about the amount of human waste left on the mountain – not a place for ripple soled shoes anymore – it was something Mallory and Hillary didn't have to worry about.
The film is brilliantly photographed with some truly heart-stopping scenes, but it takes a while to get into the human drama. Also, when you watch the climbers struggling to survive near the summit of the world's tallest mountain, you realise why all 31 seasons of "Survivor" were filmed in warm locales where people don't need much clothing or even none at all. In this movie, if the stars aren't buried under an avalanche of snow, they are buried under layers of parkas, jackets, vests, hoods, anti-glare goggles and sunscreen – as well as quite a few bushy beards – it's sometimes tricky sorting out who's who.
The film concentrates on two teams: one guided by New Zealander Rob Hall, played by Australian Jason Clarke, and the other by American Scott Fisher, played by Jake Gyllenhaal.
The teams are mainly from English speaking nations and it is intriguing to hear the variations on the language through American, New Zealand, Australian and South African accents.
Emily Watson and Keira Knightley bravely tackle a Kiwi accent and both give emotion-charged performances, while Jake Gyllenhaal's laid-back almost ethereal attitude contrasts with other, more intense characters.
In one group scene, the question is asked about what drives them to attempt the climb. But no one seems able to verbalise effectively what it is that makes them risk their lives and their health doing something that even in 1996 had been done many times before.
The film has a powerful score by Dario Marianelli; at once triumphant and tragic. When the killer storm descends, the film hits home with scenes of sacrifice, heroism and tragedy as one by one the climbers meet their fate.
There have been quite a few mountaineering movies, but this one raises the bar out of sight as far as effects are concerned – there are some scenes that make you feel you are really climbing up towards the Hillary Step – without having to worry about hypothermia, high-altitude pulmonary edema, frostbite – and piles of human waste.