Prince Avalanche
Loosely based on the film Either Way, Prince Avalanche tells the tale of oddballs Alvin (Paul Rudd) and Lance (Emile Hirsch) who spend the summer repainting road lines after a fire ravishes the landscape. Alvin considers himself leader and spends his downtime reading, writing and trying to maintain the moral high ground, while the dim, childish and horny Lance (the brother of Alvin’s girlfriend) appears to have been dragged along kicking and screaming and often finds himself at odds with his pompous partner in crime. As the two make their way across a remote area in Texas, they’re forced to confront their volatile relationship and try to make it through the summer in one piece – with humorous consequences.
Prince Avalanche starts off at a very slow pace and, frankly, you’re convinced you’re in for a ‘boring’ ride (to quote Lance), but the tone gently starts to change and with it, your opinion. The characters, thankfully, become more endearing and by the end you’re routing for the persuasive pair. Paul Rudd’s turn as the strict and uptight Alvin is a welcome departure from form, while Hirsh puts in solid work to balance out the scorecard. Set to a backdrop of a despondently beautiful Texas wilderness – aided by Tim Orr’s cinematography – Prince Avalanche turns out to be a surprisingly charming and funny film with strong performances from its cast.
3/5