Some make a big deal of falling in love in the big city, but nothing ignites passions more than the great outdoors. In Richard Webb’s A Mountain Between Us, a city girl moves to the Colorado mountains for a fresh start professionally…and personally.
Our tale opens with Ashley (Lexi Berger) taking a beginner’s rock climbing course. Her new friends, Sarah (Hope Forman) and Brandon (Quinton Blanche), warn her that the instructor is not only hot…but single. When Michael (Alex Graff), the instructor, arrives, Ashley instantly feels safe in his hands.
After a few weeks of practice, Ashley…and Sarah and Brandon…pass with flying colors. Now, all Michael needs is Ashley’s address to send her “certificate.” OK, not precisely that lusty, but you get the idea: Michael crushes on Ashley and asks her out on a date. Michael, of course, is a perfect gentleman.
Ashley and Michael are a perfect match, except that Ashley works at a prestigious law firm, and Michael…teaches rock climbing. Burned in the business world, Michael prefers a simple life in nature, while Ashley’s sister, Laura (Sammie Keach), sees Michael as a parasite to Ashley’s middle-upper-class lifestyle…unworthy of her and her family. Somehow, Ashley and Michael must navigate their way through the expectations the world has set around them.
“[They] are a perfect match, except that Ashley works at a prestigious law firm, and Michael…teaches rock climbing.”
A Mountain Between Us is a very sweet and straightforward romance on the level of a made-for-TV movie. A racy love scene puts the film more in the Lifetime camp versus the Hallmark Channel. The plot itself is very simple, about a boy and a girl on opposite sides of the track trying to convince the world around them that their love is real.
I have one major issue with A Mountain Between Us. It is its use of a wide-angle lens throughout the film. It works fine in the outdoor scenes when you’re trying to capture the beauty of the Colorado mountains, but it looks odd in an office, restaurant, or dining room. You want to see your actors perfectly vertical, not bowed out in an angle. You can definitely get away with switching lenses indoors and outdoors.
The highlight of A Mountain Between Us is the chemistry between the leads, Alex Graff and Lexi Berger. They look cute together, and I couldn’t help but root for this budding romance.
Aside from the problem I had with the cinematography, writer/director Richard Webb made good use of his nano-budget to make the film. It’s not a perfect film, but it fulfills all the requirements of a feel-good movie. Heck, the Colorado backdrop is not only gorgeous but also heightens the romance.
A Mountain Between Us is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
"…a very sweet and straightforward romance..."
