DOWNHILL

Directing: B+
Acting: B+
Writing: B+
Cinematography: B
Editing: A-

Valentine’s Day weekend was an odd choice for the release date of Downhill, which is, for the most part, the depiction of a relationship going downhill. I suppose it kind of has a happy ending in the end, which sets it apart from the critically acclaimed Swedish dramedy on which it’s based, Force Majeure (2014), which had much darker undertones to it. Somehow, Downhill, an American version of the same story starring Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, is getting mixed reviews at best—and yet, I like this version better. Back in 2014, I wrote that Force Majeure was beautifully shot but glacially paced, and “this turns what could have been a tightly polished 90-minute movie into a rather slow 118-minute film.” Well, guess how long Downhill is? 86 minutes!

Admittedly, Downhill’s cinematographer Danny Cohen is not nearly as concerned with impactful visuals. The cinematography here, amongst beautiful snowy mountain vistas, rarely makes much of an impression. That’s the one thing I would say Force Majeure has on it. Otherwise, the much greater critical response to the original is perhaps indicative of the type of movie favored by film snobs, whereas Downhill appeals more to people who just enjoy a good, brisk, engaging movie that is by turns entertaining and thought provoking.

Most importantly, Downhill is extremely well cast, especially for American audiences. Ferrell and Louis-Dreyfus give very good performances and are totally believable as a longtime married couple with two young teenage children. And perhaps the most key element is the supporting performances of the boys, Juiian Grey (13) and Ammon Jacob Ford (also 13). It’s rare to find kids who give nuanced, believably unself-conscious and human performances in movies, and although their parts are much smaller, both these boys pull it off with impressive skill.

Now, Miranda Otto as the semi-nutty hostess at the hotel is a bit of an odd, left-field choice. Her character’s presence doesn’t quite break down this movie’s construction, but it comes within spitting distance—and it certainly doesn’t make it any better. At best, it is a distraction from the inciting incident of the entire story: a family of four on a ski vacation is terrorized by what turns out to have been a controlled avalanche during an outdoor patio lunch, and in the heat of the moment when they all think they are going to die, the dad just grabs his phone and makes a run for it, leaving his bewildered family behind.

This makes for a lot of subsequently awkward moments, and co-directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash slowly but steadily dial up the tension. Pete has made his wife and children feel as though he doesn’t have what it takes to be there for them when it counts. And to be fair to the critics, the way Downhill ends is contrived in a fairly transparent—not to mention specifically Hollywood American—way, leaving things far less ambiguous than in the original story. It doesn’t alter the story that much, though, and it’s not enough to make the movie bad. In fact, to be sure, most American audiences will like the way things wrap up better here than they ever would have in the original Swedish film.

So that sort of turns this remake to the question of “art vs. commerce.” Critics might find the foreign film to be a masterpiece, but general audiences will prefer this Americanized version, with American comic icons as its two stars. Downhill is at times a bit cornier than it needs to be, and it could have some more emphasis on the philosophical questions it raises. But, you can also find the original provocative ideas if you look for them. Also, fun fact: the Norwegian actor Kristofre Hivju, who here appears as the safety department representative at the ski resort, is in both films.

Downhill is neither hilarious nor particularly dramatic, but it exists in a peculiar space in between, skirting the boundaries of amusement and discomfort. With different actors, it perhaps would not have worked. But all four of the actors who make up this family are what make this movie worth seeing.

Be careful how you react when you see what’s coming.

Overall: B+