To be alone or to be lonely. Differentiating between these two ideas is the subject of David Gordon Green's latest film "Prince Avalanche."
The film takes place in 1988 in a park recently burned down by a forest fire. Alvin (Paul Rudd) and Lance (Emile Hirsh) are working on restoring the area on their own while attempting to learn to live with one another. Lance is young adult obsessed with his sexual desires while Alvin is attempting to figure out how he wants to proceed with his girlfriend Madison (who also happens to be Lance's sister).
Alvin seems to have everything going for him. He has the girlfriend waiting for him back home. He has the freedom of the wilderness. He is in charge of the job. All of these factors seem to indicate that he is in control of his own destiny.
Except he isn't.
At one point in the film, Alvin suggests to Lance that he isn't lonely; he just chooses to be alone. However, in one spectacular sequence Alvin experiences the opposite of end of his statement. While Lance returns to the city to relieve his sexual needs, Alvin remains in the wasteland all alone. He happens upon a mysterious old lady who is picking up the pieces of her burnt down home. Moments later he is walking about the rubble playing house with his invisible wife/girlfriend. This particular scene emphasizes the distant between him and Madison and his own illusive nature. He doesn't live in the reality of other people's needs; he only understands his own. Even when he writes a letter to Madison earlier in the story, he makes offensive comments about Lance. While one might find them humorous, it seems as if Alvin fails to realize that he is insulting a family member of his girlfriend and in doing so, he is potentially hurting her.
More importantly, his insults reveal another part of his nature. In one poignant scene Lance apologizes for hurling insults at Alvin. He tells him that people who insult others do it because it helps them feel better about themselves; this could not be truer about Alvin.
Lance starts off as acting like a tough guy and boasts about his own sexual prowess. As might be expected, this all proves to be a big bluff and in one of the finest moments in the film, Lance reveals his failed sexual conquest and the resulting embarrassment that he endured. Later on, he makes yet another revelation that emphasizes his sexual insecurities and the mounting problems that he is facing in his life.
Rudd and Hirsh showcase complementary performances that carry the film. Rudd starts off as a cliché of masculinity; he maintains a stolid face and says nothing to Lance in their initial scenes. When he does say something, it is either disparaging or insulting. However, he starts to show a softer edge, especially during the aforementioned scene in the rubble. When he is struck by a life-changing event, he runs off and hides. When he returns in his beat-up truck he remains silent. As he drives, Gordon Green captures him in profile with only his right eye in view. Even though the shot remains static, the viewer's attention is immediately attracted to Rudd's eye. Throughout the scene his eye waters until he starts to cry; he immediately battles to keep self control. While his smiles are minimal in the early half of the film, the warmth creeps in the latter parts of the story. One gets the sense that the man has truly found his way by the end of the picture.
Hirsh gives Lance a true coming-of-age development. He starts off the film with a bratty attitude that almost makes one think he is still a teenager. He whines about the "Equal Time Agreement" for the boom box in one scene and boasts about a watch. However, he builds into a calmer persona that actually helps soothe his friend's pains and sorrows. In one scene he compliments Alvin on how hard he works for his sister and that he is better than any other guy she could get.
Gordon Green tracks their relationship beautifully with efficient direction. In their first scene together, the two are framed in a static shot outside the tent. They do not talk with another or even look at each other; it creates a sense of awkwardness and tension. Their awkward relationship is further highlighted in another scene where Lance attempts to masturbate in the tent while they sleep. Unfortunately, he feels uncomfortable going through with it despite the fact that Alvin is fast asleep. Eventually the relationship moves into more violent territory with the two chasing each other. By the end, the two are listening to a German tape and practicing together; the moment is full of tenderness.
Rounding out the cast is the late Lance Legault as a rugged truck driver. Legault gives the film vital comic relief in its darkest moments.
"Prince Avalanche's" final character is the setting itself. The viewer is treated to imagery of a skunk feeding off a dead turtle. Another shot portrays ants at work. The desecrated landscape almost echoes the destroyed lives of its central characters and its slow rebuild parallels their own.
Unfortunately, the film loses its sense of wonder as it develops and its slow pace ultimately sucks the energy out of it. While its sense of directionlessness echoes that of its characters, the dramatic stakes never really give the viewer a reason to truly care for the characters; that we wind up interested, if not invested, is a testament to the strong performances of Rudd and Hirsh. More importantly, the film reaches a point where its denouement feels inevitable and its sustained slow pace throughout these final sequences wears on the viewer.
"Prince Avalanche" offers a plethora of nuance and subtlety that truly creates a remarkable portrait of human redemption. Its slow pacing creates a meditative ambience early on, but tests the spectator's patience as it reaches its final act.
The Film Screens on April 23, 26, 28.
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