By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Emile Hirsch | Gina Grande | Joyce Payne | Lance LeGault | Lynn Shelton | Paul Rudd
Country: united_states
Year: 2013
Running time: 94
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2195548/combined
Chris says: “This is the film devotees of David Gordon Green’s earlier features hoped he would make, although it’s probably not entirely what they expected. A remake of the Icelandic film EITHER WAY, PRINCE AVALANCHE returns to the Terrence Malick-on-a-tight-budget approach Green forged with GEORGE WASHINGTON: the skeletal plot takes a backseat to character
and atmosphere, while longtime cinematographer Tim Orr defines the visual palette with nearly abstract establishing shots and purely lyrical montages. And yet, Green’s unexpected foray into questionable stoner comedies populated with Judd Apatow regulars has left a significant mark on his style, for this is a far more commercial endeavor than GEORGE WASHINGTON or even Gus Van Sant’s GERRY, which it sometimes resembles in that it’s basically about two men making their way through an isolated wilderness.
“Only in this case, the wilderness is a Texas forest ravaged by a massive fire in 1987. The two men, Alvin (Paul Rudd) and Lance (Emile Hirsch), are working the following summer on the unenviable, monotonous task of replacing fallen sign posts and laying down dotted yellow line along a seemingly endless highway. Alvin, the older, more responsible and snippier of the two, is dating Lance’s sister and has hired him as a favor to her. The role gives Rudd an ideal opportunity to stretch a little from his usual nice
guy act (and grow an awesomely dorky mustache), while floppy-haired Hirsch is well cast as a perennial fuck-up. What Green has noticeably absorbed from his recent work are Alvin and Lance’s quick, verbal sparring and antagonism towards each other and they rub up nicely against a backdrop Green could’ve easily relegated to mere austerity. As PRINCE AVALANCHE continues, it gets goofier and more physical (thanks to one tragic event and a lot of alcohol) but it also deepens Alvin and Lance considerably. Green eventually reaches a place that’s both beatific and serene and effectively cathartic. For someone who seemed to have hit a melodramatic dead end with the overwrought SNOW ANGELS, Green’s newfound commitment towards humor, only this time at a more human scale greatly reconfirms his potential. 4.5 cats
”(This film screened at the 2013 Provincetown International Film Festival).”