Prince Avalanche (2013)

Directed by: David Gordon Green
Country: USA

Review: “Prince Avalanche” is David Gordon Green’s adaptation of “Either Way” (already reviewed in this blog), which was written and directed two years ago by the Icelander Hafstein Gunnar Sigurdsson. The story is almost a copy of the original version, denoting minimum modifications and being inserted in the thematic of the wildfires that devastated the Texas fields. It tells the adventure of Alvin (Paul Rudd) and his girlfriend’s brother Lance (Emile Hirsch), who are working together in an isolated place during another season, where they are responsible for the reconstruction of the country road. Despite their age gaps and personality differences, the duo will get along and help each other to overcome some issues involving women. As Alvin says in a letter to his beloved, this place sometimes is heaven and sometimes is hell, and that is exactly the sensation that we get by looking to its landscapes, which aren’t so appealing as the Iceland depicted on Sigurdsson’s version. As a matter of fact, it didn’t do any better than its predecessor, becoming even a bit boring along the way, especially for me who have watched the other film recently. With consistent performances and a competent direction, “Prince Avalanche” will probably work fine for those who are watching this simple story for the first time. Green was considered best director at Berlin for this low-key indie film, which accomplished its goals but didn't enchant.