Movie Review – Prince Avalanche (2013)

Commencing with footage of raging wildfires one gets lost in the beauty and horror of witnessing the natural and manmade catastrophe.  Amongst the charred landscape is Alvin (Paul Rudd) who has hired Lance (Emile Hirsch) the brother of his girlfriend to paint traffic lines.  While Alvin can take pleasure in the solitude of camping out separated from civilization Lance is anxious to go back to town and get laid.

The two men temporarily go their separate ways upon the arrival of the weekend break.  Alvin decides to remains to enjoy the solitude of the wilderness and Lance drives off with high hopes.  Alvin writes letters to the love of his life Madison and explores the area which has him encounter an elderly woman (Joyce Payne) rummaging the wreckage of her burned down home.  Lance returns more depressed and unsettled than when he left and the feeling spreads to Alvin when he comes a breakup letter from Madison.  Open hostility erupts causing the two co-workers to either become sworn enemies or lifelong friends.               

Breaking the twosome is the intermittent arrival of an aged and moonshine-carrying truck driver portrayed by Lance LeGault (Stripes) who provides much needed comic relief and liveliness.  The cast is as stripped down as the surrounding forest which allows the viewer the time to become familiar with the characters.  Quirkiness is plentiful in the surreal environment as Alvin and Lance are a couple beers short of a six pack in life skills.  Some fun moments occur when one of them lies on the road while the other outlines the body as if for a murder scene and the sequence where Alvin acts as if a destroyed house is still intact and occupied.

There is no fancy camera work and shots are held allowing for a leisurely viewing experience.  Even though Prince Avalanche was filmed outdoors it feels like a contained offbeat comedy as the focus of director David Gordon Green (Snow Angels) is squarely on his actors.  It was strange seeing a pudgy and dishevelled Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) who oddly resembles Jack Black (High Fidelity).   Just as Alvin and Lance are slightly off-the-mark one cannot help but feel that the personality trait has engrained itself into the moviemaking technique which makes Prince Avalanche somewhat endearing and annoying at the same time.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★  / Movie: ★ ★ 

VSC presents Prince Avalanche which opens in Toronto on August 23, 2013 @ Cineplex at Yonge & Dundas