Over the past few years, the romance genre has been plagued by Nicolas Sparks' dramas that exploit and manipulate the audience's emotions with contrived plots and flimsy characters. The result has been a a bad reputation and critical reception for romance films. Mo Ogrodnik's "Deep Powder" proves to be an exception and portrays a deeply affecting love story about two lonely young adults from different social classes.
Inspired by true events, the film takes place in a small town where a line exists between blue collared residents and elite high end society. It tells the story of privileged but reckless Natasha and Danny, a ski lift operator and blue collar resident. The two meet when Natahsa loses her wallet on a ski lift and Danny finds and returns it to her. The two opposites slowly attract and their relationship develops into a searing romance. However, their love is tested when Natasha is picked by her secret society, the Deep Powder Alpine Country Club, to make an annual drug run to Ecuador.
The film works mainly because of its strong characters and incredible casting. Haley Bennett makes Natasha an unpredictabe and vulnerable heroine. At the beginning of the film Natasha is seen smoking pot with her prep school friends and is without a care in the world; she balks at losing her wallet and its contents of $300. However, the source of her emptiness and loneliness is revealed during an emotional scene when she calls her father and begs him to take her back. When she fails, Natasha falls to floor and cries inconsolably. At the start of the scene, Bennett brings an jumpy almost enthusiastic feel to the character but as her disappointment mounts, the energy is quashed and her eyes slowly tear up.
When she meets Danny her life changes and she finds the familial lifestyle she has been seeking. Once seen as a bored and hopeless girl, Natasha becomes happy and filled with energy. She not only finds happiness with Danny, but also with his younger siblings. During one scene after Danny arrives late to pick up his siblings, she is tender and gives them treats. Another scene shows Natasha dancing and playing with them. Bennett is fearless in one scene where she dances on top of a bed with Danny's siblings and busts out all sorts of moves. As the story nears its heart-breaking climax, Bennet injects Natasha with tremendous vulnerability. Not a smile materializes on her face in the film's final acts and her boisterous behavior from the start is replaced with a subdued and controlled attitude that suggests her maturity.
Danny, played by a reserved and introverted Shiloh Fernandez, is a young, underprivileged man who wants to go to college and play hockey professionally. However, he is a lonely character who does not seem to fit in anywhere. When he is first seen in the film, he is skating and practicing his shooting skills all alone. Danny is later portrayed by himself at his job and bedroom. The only people he spends time with are his two younger siblings and a friend from work. When he goes to Natasha's birthday he decides to stays in his car outside because he feels left out.
Danny never really develops into an assertive character despite his best intentions; he cannot bring himself to approach Natasha throughout vital parts of the story. When a drug deal goes awry, he gives up and is saved by his risk-taking girlfriend. Even in the film's climactic moments he is unable to act on his own; Natasha also drives him to action in this section. In one scene early on, Natasha decides to play his father's CD's. Danny tries to stop her but she persuades him to continue. He knows that there could be consequences but those don't seem to worry him at that moment. He also tries to stop her from going on the dangerous drug trip but eventually finds himself involved in the journey due to her overpowering nature.
The film carries some very suspenseful moments, especially when the couple returns from Ecuador and the police searches them for drugs. Director Ogrodnik's best achievement is that she captures a truly honest romance in such wonderful scenes as those inside Danny's cabin and along the Ecuadorian beaches.
The film does suffer a few missteps however. Video tape interviews littered throughout the film indicate that "Deep Powder" is supposed to be set in the 1980's; however, it looks as if it were set in present day. Danny wears modern day hoodies, cardigans and jeans while Natasha ports wool sweaters and leggings that also represent modern fads. The rooms are also decorated like present day college rooms with modern-looking furnite. While one might argue that the intention is one of subtley, nothing really makes the viewer believe that this film is set in the 1980's. The fact that numerous scenes try to emphasize this time period makes for a marginally frustrating experience.
There are some exceptions as Ogrodnik uses old 1921 camcorder footage and Danny plays with an old Nintendo; there are also no computers. Danny's car is from the 80s but these kinds of vehicles have been represented in modern dramas such as "Frozen River" and "Winter's Bone."
The music by Peter Nahel is another issue. Each time there is a romantic scene, swelling music intrudes or acoustic guitar chords are heard. The cues are over-the-top and almost feel like they are trying to impose emotions that are already brought out so vividly by the actors.
Some style choices also take away from the power of the film. The use of slow motion that portrays Natasha is running through the forest is a complete distraction and almost unwatchable. The slow motion is utilized in another scene in which she is shown dancing with Danny's siblings. The use of technique in this scene takes away from the raw, naturalistic feel of the scene and instead adds superficiality to the proceedings. Most of the film is shot with simple camera work that allows the performers the full reign over the story; it works tremendously for most of the film. When Ogrodnik tries to employ the aforementioned style choices, she almost gets in the way of her own story and the realism of her actors.
Nonetheless, "Deep Powder" is an exceptional romance. It's tremendous lead performances overshadow any of the aforementioned gripes and bring the audience on a cathartic and memorable journey.