With films like George Washington and All The Real Girls, David Gordon Green earned a reputation as a compelling indie director. Then he transitioned into helming big, broad, glossy comedies like Pineapple Express, Your Highness and The Sitter, losing critic's admiration along the way. About a year ago, we here at Cinema Blend pined for Green to return to his roots with his next venture, a Paul Rudd vehicle called Prince Avalanche. And we're pleased to report that's precisely what he's done.
An English-language adaptation the Icelandic comedy Either Way, Prince Avalanche premiered at Sundance earlier this year, and recently delighted audiences at the Tribeca Film Festival. At both it won praise for its gorgeous cinematography, thoughtful storytelling, and bittersweet brand of comedy. It blends the emotional tenderness of his early work with the joyful silliness of his more recent movies. And the trailer above—courtesy of Extra—deftly gives a taste of this bubbly balance.
Set on a long stretch of freshly repaved road that cuts through a terrain recently ravaged by fearsome forest fires, Prince Avalanche centers on an odd couple of road workers during a life-defining summer. Alvin (Rudd) is working to support his long-term girlfriend, and spends his downtime penning her lyrical letters and attempting to learn a new language via audiotapes. Emile Hirsch plays Lance, an ever-horny goofball that Alvin hired solely because the young man is his girlfriend's aimless little brother. Tensions rise as the isolation of this environment wears on the pair. But thankfully, their unavoidable feud is funny and engaging.
You'll be able to see what all the buzz is about when Prince Avalanche opens August 9th.
