And, finally, caught up with the movie Downhill. Haven’t heard of it? It’s barely being advertised and I’m surprised it was theatrically released at all. It has a good cast though and it’s a remake of a French film called Force Majeur which I haven’t seen. So maybe someone thought there was enough prestige to get some bucks out of movie-going public.
Downhill stars Will Ferrell and Julia Louise-Dreyfus as a married couple with kids on a ski trip to the Alps. When a controlled avalanche is triggered, it’s bigger than expected and the family is caught on a balcony as the snow charges in. Ferrell’s character runs, abandoning his family. There was ultimately no real danger though and this creates a rift that grows larger and larger as the vacation continues.
Arguing this is a massively miscast movie is easy… arguing it’s not even a comedy is easier. There are comedic bits to it but most of the movie is like having dinner with a couple that just won’t stop arguing. It’s awkward but not in a Veep kind of way… it’s more aggravating and sad than any kind of awkward comedy. If they had cast someone other than Will Ferrell as the dad who runs from danger, there’d have been more surprise in the flick. But you kind of expect antics like that from a Ferrell character… though maybe not the serious self-denial, gaslighting, and bickering.
As a movie about a marriage in crisis (that is not funny), this isn’t really that bad a movie. The scenario as it unfolds, gets more and more depressing and awkward. I imagine the original film would have been better as we might not bring any of our baggage with us regarding the cast. And, to be very fair, Ferrell and Dreyfus do a pretty good job acting their parts. And they should be able to do work outside their comfort zones.
The film is honestly ok. It’s also quite aggravating and frustrating but that’s the tone they were going for so its hard to hate the movie for that. But it’s just whether you want to subject yourself to that level of noise and bickering. Credit to the cast for doing it as well as they did though.
Score: 72