Prince Avalanche, Directed by David Gordon Green. With Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch

Hey there, Lady Kiwi here with my review of Prince Avalanche, a film that delivers an honest, heart-warming performance, but leaves you wanting more. Paul Rudd is one of my favourite comedians of all time!  This is a step up into drama that I didn’t expect.  IMDB listed this as a comedy/drama – again, this was essentially a drama. Click ahead for my full review…

Prince Avalanche, Directed by David Gordon Green. With Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch

In Prince Avalanche, the story feels real, the characters breathe life into a beautiful but simple script. Set in 1988,  Paul Rudd (Alvin) and Emile Hirsch (Lance) make an unlikely pair hired to paint lines and drive mile markers onto an old country road in Texas, camping together all week. Alvin and his girlfriend, Madison (Lance’s older sister), seem to have it all together-a future with plans for travel to Europe and a life together. Lance, on the other hand, seems to be out of control, young and immature – only thinking about getting laid on the weekends. About half way through the movie, Madison breaks up with Alvin through a letter and the whole movie shifts.

You get a glimpse of two very different people, dealing with being alone and being lonely. Lance ends up being the slightly wiser one, helping Alvin to let go and finally have some fun.  They end up learning some lessons from each other, but the movie ends slightly abrupt – leaving me wanting more of the story.

Things I really enjoyed:  The acting was impeccable.  Both Rudd and Hirsch deliver incredible performances by taking on the characters and not holding back.  The scenery was so simple, but effective.  The rural area was the scene of a mass forest fire the year before. The charred trees scream death, but budding grasses hint at rebirth.

Prince Avalanche, Directed by David Gordon Green. With Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch

Things that could have been better: The beginning starts out at a snail’s pace…in fact I almost stopped watching it.  But by 30 minutes in, the tempo speeds up a bit.  The whole movie moves rather stop and go.  By the end, though, the pacing feels right, and helps to set the tone.  The end had me hanging on for more.  I was surprised to see the credits roll, when surely there was more to come.  The story was good, I just would have liked a bit more of a conclusion – I had to try to think about why they ended the story where they did.

This movie brings to mind growing up, dealing with heartache, being there for others that need you and moving forward when things do not work out like we planned.  All these things are real life, again – an honest movie with real feelings.  Just don’t expect a typical Paul Rudd Comedy – you will be very disappointed.   Overall I give it a 4 out of 5 stars!

Lady Kiwi says Good On Ya!  Remember to have fun in life – it’s what it’s all about!