[Locke]

So I just watched Prince Avalanche.

My biggest criticism is Paul Rudd, don't get me wrong, I love this guy. But he's playing the same character he does in every movie, and that character works fine in the context of movies like 'I Love You, Man' or 'Role Models' as they are simple minded (but enjoyable still) comedies.

Prince Avalanche however is a deep, thoughtful, incredibly emotional and utterly beautiful little art film, leaving Paul Rudd to feel completely out of place and woefully miscast. He hits all the right notes in the comedy scenes (as expected) but this isn't a straight comedy, this is a dramedy and so I just found him distracting in every single scene that wasn't about the laughs (and there are a lot of those), especially as he takes part in pretty much every crucial scene in the movie (which are rarely comedy scenes). And he does try, bless him, but a strained performance is in many ways worse than a weak one.

I never thought I'd see the day where I can claim something like Emile Hirsch is the strongest actor in the piece, who puts a surprising amount of gravitas into a very simple, kinda pathetic character.

And honestly, it's surprising just how much Hirsch saves the movie. When Rudd has to carry a dramatic scene on his own, he fails, but with Hirsch there with him it's like Rudd rides his wheel. The chemistry between the two actors is wonderful, and they only seem to better one another's performance.

It makes surprisingly good use of its setting, as well. The film rests on the notion of solitude, something that hasn't really existed for fifteen years now. With the world of the internet, smart phones and tablets we are never truly alone, ever. Social networking connects us to the entire planet, and that is beautiful, but we've somehow lost the importance of space and room because they are two things that no longer really exist. Pretty much none of the events in this movie, could have transpired if they set it today, and I found that really kind of awesome. Which kinda sums up the whole movie for me, easily one of the best films released this year.