Downhill

I feel badly for Julia Louis-Dreyfus because her character is so unlikeable, in a movie that's equally unlikeable. Like watching a slow motion train wreck. Wish I could have that 90 minutes of my life - and my money - back. 3 stars, only for the scenery.

Downhill is a Remake of the 2015 film Force Majure. And Stars Julia Luis Dreyfus and Will Farrell. This movie premiered at Sundance so I was super excited for it, but now that I've seen it I'm a little disappointed. I will say I really enjoyed the cinematography and set design of the film. Those things mixed with a whimsical score gave it a Wes Anderson type of feel. Now as for the things I didn't like, I found both the characters in the movie very annoying and both very selfish which made the move hard to sit through. And the reason for the couples argument aka the whole backbone of the movie felt really shallow.

Billie (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Pete Staunton (Will Ferrell) are on an Austrian ski vacation with their two boys. Charlotte (Miranda Otto) is the sex obsessed resort manager. Something happens which puts doubt into the Staunton marriage.

This is an American remake of the great film, Force Majeure, by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund. It has been rewritten and directed by comedic actors, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. They have become a great filmmaker duo following two poignant films with nice comedic touches; The Way Way Back and The Descendants. This one is a great disappointment. As a remake, this is an utter failure. It takes the unsaid and say it out loud. It takes the regular life and makes it wacky. While there are some compelling moves, this keeps feeling wrong.

I try to envision not watching Force Majeure first and imagine watching this with virgin eyes. I don't know who came up with Charlotte but she seems to inhabit a wacky Will Ferrell comedy. I do not like Otto's accent or her character. The movie is trying to be wacky and then like an avalanche, it tries to be serious. It can be funny and serious but wackiness can often clash. In the big overarching premise, it's trying to be a wacky ski comedy from the 80's with a gigolo ski teacher and a swinging manager. It doesn't need it and doesn't want it. There are moments that intrigue me. I didn't really like Zach and Rosie except one moment at the end of the scene where Rosie is looking at Zach. I like the resolution of Billie and Pete but it goes a step too far. That's this movie at its core. I like a lot of it but it always goes one step too far. I hate Charlotte and the movie would be far superior without her. Overall, this has some moments but it keeps getting it wrong.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell star in "Downhill," a new comedy that comes out on Valentine's Day, Friday 14, 2020. The film was directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.

Billie (Louis-Dreyfus) and her two boys barely escape been buried alive during a "controlled" avalanche, while Pete (Ferrell) runs for cover thinking only about his self. The scary ordeal causes them to take a fresh look at their marriage and their future together.

I had high hopes with the pairing of Louis-Dreyfus and Ferrell and what kind of comedic caper on the ski slopes might ensue. Unfortunately, this film was disappointing. This isn't the kind of "feel-good" romantic movie to take your significant other out to see on Valentine's Day.

The film isn't mushy and doesn't "resolve" like a bow on a pretty package. Instead, it is more of a "warning" in relationships, showing how miscommunication, self-centeredness, defensiveness all can contribute to breaking down bonds in relationships. The humor in it is how the couple fails to address the issue directly causing further distance, bringing others into it to plead their case, and even puts the kids in the middle. There were some cringeworthy moments throughout.

Some of the film's less flattering moments include an awkward scene with a ski instructor, crude sexual humor, and drunkenness without any really point.

I would recommend steering clear of this one, in favor of a nice evening in, preparing dinner for your partner, snuggling up on the couch and dreaming together about your hopes for the future so you don't end up like Billie and Pete unsure of what is next in store for your relationship.

Torture watching this movie. Would have walked out but my wife liked the Austrian mountain ski scenes. Nothing else about this movie was worthwhile. It struck me as a movie where the stars agreed to do it to support a family member who was trying to get into movie production but had no experience and no skill.