Biking through the French countryside, Mike waits for a gruelling climb to offhandedly mention his affair with Kyle's wife to be. Struggling to keep pace, a stunned Kyle is furious and winds up running up the hill to confront his soon to be ex-best man. Soon they are in hospital, where things spiral further out of control. This orchestrated moment of comedic tragedy defines their lifelong relationship, and a rather enjoyable film. Co-stars and co-writers Kyle Marvin and Michael Covino (who also directs), pull off their push pull brotherly love-hate relationship effortlessly enough to raise suspicion these may not be fictional events. As the obvious heel in the picture, Mike revisits his childhood buddy from time to time, wreaks havoc to whatever situation he insists himself in, tries to make misguided amends, then disappears until his next untimely resurrection. A hard character to love, an easy one to punch, Mike does sprinkle a few redeeming qualities to always leave a crack in the door. Everyone knows someone like this, or knew. The human nature of second chances is put to the test: who opens that crack, and who slams it shut? Ambitiously shot in several long take chapters, "The Climb" has a down to earth, visceral quality which makes entry into the complicated and inviting Kyle and Mike dynamic an easy one. "The Climb" is just that, the hill of life everyone struggles with, and sometimes, no matter how potentially destructive, friendship is all anyone craves. A fetching soundtrack doesn't hurt. * hipCRANK

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