Standard-Examiner movie critic?

In the art houses this week, if you saw the mountain climbing doc “Touching the Void,” you’ll want to see this new German film. Plus, you can meet a young British actress who’s every bit as good as the girl from “An Education.” And do you love Norwegian death metal music? Hear from some of its founders 20 years down the road. ?

NORTH FACE

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(Not rated) In German with subtitles. Starring Benno Furmann, Florian Lukas, Johanna Wokalek, Georg Friedrich and Ulrich Tukur. Co-written and directed by Philipp Stolzl (“Baby,” “Morituri Te Salutant”). Filmed in Austria and Switzerland. Playing at the Broadway Centre in Salt Lake City. 121 minutes.?This is supposedly based on a true story, although I hear a lot has been changed for the sake of drama. But what a drama it is.?With World War II looming, Germany wants to prove how cool its people are by holding a climbing competition on one of the most dangerous rock faces in all of the Alps — the Eiger.?

Many have tried, but most have died or given up.?But then along comes these two independent Germans, Kurz and Hinterstoisser (just think of them as a Bavarian Butch and Sundance), who want to take on the other national teams for a race to the top.?A prominent Berlin newspaper has put up the prize money and sent a top editor and an assistant to the base camp lodge to cover the event. The assistant, Luise, is an old friend of the boys and once had a crush on the strong, mostly silent one.?

Each day, the climbers make slow, deliberate progress up the treacherous mountain, while the press and spectators watch with telescopes from the comfort of the hotel balcony. But then bad weather descends and some of the teams are in deep peril. Do the Germans continue to climb or do they stop to help the guys in trouble, putting themselves at risk??

This is a brave and compelling story that, if even half is true, is still very much worth seeing. Add to that the unrequited love between the demure editor’s assistant and the stoic, courageous German climber and you have an epic, harrowing love story mixed with high mountain drama that features a pretty cool line to remember — “One has lived if one has loved.” ?

FISH TANK

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(Not rated) Starring Katie Jarvis, Michael Fassbender, Kierston Wareing, Jason Maza and Harry Treadaway. Written and directed by Andrea Arnold (“Red Road,” “Wasp”). Filmed in Essex, England. Playing at the Broadway Centre in Salt Lake City. 122 minutes.?This reminded me a lot of the Academy Award-nominated film “An Education,” only with a lot more grit and intensity.?Like “An Education’s” lead actress Carey Mulligan, “Fish Tank’s” Katie Jarvis explodes onto the screen with a dynamic presence and intensity that makes her instantly mesmerizing.?

Mia is a tough 15-year-old from the Essex projects, living with her single, selfish mom and pesky little sister. She likes to dance and practices all of the time in an empty apartment that she broke into. ?

She takes no guff from anyone. She faces her peers without fear, and tries to free an old horse chained to a concrete block in a field, even though the owners live nearby. She apparently likes animals more than she does people.?Her mom has a new boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender), who seems like a nice guy. He’s attentive to the girls and talks to them about their lives. He’s genuinely interested and breaks through Mia’s tough facade with kindness.?All along, however, you’ll be wary of his intentions, just hoping he’ll be that good guy to these troubled girls. Please don’t let him be that creepy predator. The filmmaker keeps you guessing.?

What’s interesting about this film is that even when you think it’s reached the climactic moment, there’s still a lot more yet to come. And each escalation leaves you wondering — what is she thinking and what will happen next??

This feels like a very honest portrayal and a coming-of-age story that doesn’t shy away from anything. Katie Jarvis is incredible and one to watch in the future. ?

UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US

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(Not rated) Featuring Varg Vikernes, Gylve “Fenriz” Nagell, Hellhammer, Oystein “Euronymous” Aarseth and Bjarne Melgaard. Directed by Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell in their directorial debut. Filmed in Norway and Sweden. Playing at the Tower Theatre in Salt Lake City. 93 minutes.?The Scandinavian countries have this dark expression in music called “black metal” or “death metal.”?Since the mid-1980s, such groups as Mayhem, Darkthrone and Burzum have created a sound that screams to a generation of rebellious teenagers, and which not surprisingly sends their parents up a wall.?Within this culture, members rail against Christianity as the reason their own original Nordic traditions have slowly gone away. It’s interesting that these young people sought a return to an earlier time. What’s heartbreaking is they got attention to their cause by burning a number of old Christian churches in the early ’90s.?This led many in the media to portray them as satanists, even though they insist it’s more about paganism. But many within their ranks embraced the fear of the satanic because, frankly, it gave them more power.?We meet one well-spoken, intelligent man, Varg Vikernes, who was one of the founders of death metal. He’s obviously in prison for a reason, but we don’t find out why until nearly the end.?He speaks eloquently about how one comes to know how to oppose something — something akin to the early uses of terrorism. It’s a fascinating discussion, but you begin to wonder if it’s all just rhetoric or if he has a specific goal in mind.?Another guy, Gylve Nagell, seems a little more retrospective and less intense about his experiences in the culture. He thinks a lot of people got into it just to be shocking and different. His most telling line: “In the end, people just like to dress up.” ?Could it be that simple? Maybe.?

Steve Salles can be reached at films@standard.net.