The premise for “Downhill” takes after Ruben Östlund’s “Force Majeure,” which was about a family on a ski vacation that turned into a make-or-break point between a checked-out husband and worn-down wife. After scenes of getting acclimated to their adult Austrian resort and some time on the slopes, Billie (Julia-Louis Dreyfus), her husband Pete (Will Ferrell) and their two sons decide to grab lunch on an elevated patio. But their mountainous, picturesque background turns dangerous when controlled explosions set off an avalanche that careens right toward everyone on the patio. As the snow crashes down toward them, Pete chooses his cell phone and himself, darting away from the table as Billie holds onto her sons for dear life.
When Pete returns, he orders soup as if nothing happened, as if he didn’t just leave them behind. In one of the film’s few glimmers from Louis-Dreyfus’ performance, she tries to swallow the shock from such a betrayal, her trembling hand over her mouth before resuming lunch herself.
The avalanche incident hangs over Billie and Pete for the rest of the trip, and tension mounts as Pete shows more of his cowardly, selfish true self. When Pete invites visiting work friend Zach (Zach Woods) and his wife Rosie (Zoe Chao) to come over for drinks (without giving Billie proper notice), Pete continues to deny the event, and tries to use ski boots as proof that he didn’t run away. And when Billie and Pete go to an icy hotel figurehead (Kristofer Hivju) to complain about the dangerous explosion, Pete fails to support her—especially when it’s revealed that he initially saw signs warning about the explosion, and just didn’t think to say anything about it.
Rash and Faxon try to make these scenes from a marriage pop with broadly drawn side characters, and depending on how you wish this movie would play out, it’s going to be too much or not enough. The trend seems to be horny Europeans, starting with Miranda Otto and her comically-forward hotel employee Charlotte; later, Louis-Dreyfus has a lesson with a comically-forward ski instructor named Guglielmo (Giulo Berruti). The familiarity of these characters can make “Downhill” even more dull, even if they’re meant to offer overt comic relief.
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