PRINCE AVALANCHE - TRIBECA REVIEW
David Gordon Green has made a wide range of films. From his quiet indie days of All the Real Girls (still one of my favorite films) and George Washington to the big budget hilarity of Pineapple Express and Your Highness (Listen I liked it and I’ll defend it to the end), Green has made a strong case that he is a director with a unique vision that knows how to tell a well-crafted story and then can just flat out entertain us. Sadly for us, his new film PRINCE AVALANCHE is neither a unique vision nor that entertaining. It’s as if the film forgot to stop and pick up its substance. Paul Rudd stars as Alvin, a middle of the road blue collar worker who is spending his summer repainting a highway and saving all of his money to start a real life with his girlfriend back home. As a favor to her, he hires her younger brother Lance (Emile Hirsch) and from day to day tries to teach him lessons that will help him in life, even though Alvin himself doesn’t really have anything figured out. Through long walks on the road working and semi-frequent weekends off, the two forge and unlikely bond and end up….forming an unlikely bond as they continue to work. That’s about all that happens here.
Based on the Icelandic movie Either Way (Á annan veg), David Gordon Green’s remake doesn’t ever pick up any sort of speed. It moves at a deliberately slow pace but never has anything really interesting to say. Paul Rudd does his best with a character and film that never fully finds a sufficient tone but the actual scene stealing belongs to Emile Hirsch, who is by far the best thing about this film. His immature character is hilarious and engaging, even if the story isn’t. Hirsch does wonderful work here, but Green never engages the audience in any real conversation. Instead the film just feels cold, and goes on and on, much like their summer job.
VERDICT: SKIP IT
Based on the film Either Way written by Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson, Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson Screenplay by David Gordon Green Directed by David Gordon Green Starring Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch, Lance LeGault Country USA Content Disclaimer (Adult Language) For ticket and screening information: http://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets
BOTTOM LINE: A rare misfire from the very talented David Gordon Green, who I'm sure will get back on his horse and ride with ease from this one.