Venezuela Jungle Jam

Big wall climbing with the humor left in, which is the Belgian crew's specialty and the reason this works. Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, Nicolas Favresse, Stephane Hanssens and Jean-Louis Wertz spend more than ten days on a 500-meter, fully overhanging wall in the Venezuelan jungle, looking for a line to the summit of Amuri Tepui.

This is for people who like expedition films that refuse to be solemn. Portaledge concerts, brutal approaches, big falls and a waterfall loud enough to drown out the music are all here, and Villanueva O'Driscoll directs it himself for the Club Alpin Belge. Skip it if you want a clean summary of the route. The film cares more about the days than the topo.

What it does well is the jungle. Most expedition films start at the wall. This one makes the approach part of the ascent, and by the time the crew is hanging on overhanging rock you understand what it took to get there. The music, played off the wall itself, is not a gimmick. It is how these four handle waiting.

What it gets wrong is length. Fifty-eight minutes is generous and the middle sags. Vertical Sailing Greenland, the same crew's first big film, has the same ingredients with a boat instead of a jungle, and it is tighter. Start with Greenland if you are new to them. Come here once you already like the company.