I saw The Rover. If you liked The Road and/or The Grey, then this one is right up your alley. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a huge Guy Pearce man-crush, ever since L.A. Confidential (and Memento and The Time Machine and The Count of Monte Cristo). Hes one of those guys that no one really cites as a favorite (kinda like Richard Gere back in the day), but is consistently very good. In The Rover, he is at his disconnected best, doing what is required to survive as he waits for his time to die in a post-collapse Australia. (The film makes subtle references to the notion that other parts of the world - i.e., the U.S. - are still thriving, but apparently things went waaaay south Down Under.) What he does will surprise, shock, disgust and/or inspire you, depending on your definitions of right and wrong. Either way, Pearce has crafted a merciless, unapologetic, and strangely principled (caring?) enigma who is equal parts good guy and bad guy. Now lets talk about Robert Pattinson - you know, that pretty boy vampire from the Twilight movies. The only thing Ive ever actually seen him in was Water for Elephants (hell no, I havent seen Twilight), and wasnt really impressed. Well, I am now. Holy balls, this guy can act. Talk about taking a character and making it yours! The best thing you can say about an actor is that you couldnt tell it was them, kinda like Donnie Wahlberg in The Sixth Sense and Dreamcatcher. It takes a lot of skill to play a character as dim as the one he played in The Rover, and he nailed it. I may have to go back and see some of his other stuff. The films pace is slow but steady, with the right amount of tension peppered throughout. The storys ambiguity plays nicely against Pearces grim determination to accomplish his task, which is not revealed until the very end and never fully explained. It is, however, perfectly logical for this character (youll figure it out). This is one of those films that has long shots of characters walking around; most movies will just cut to them arriving wherever theyre going. However, in this setting, the walking around is all... that... there... is... These characters exist in a world that is generally lawless, with no structure or potential for improvement. It is a place and time that is out of place with nothing but time, and it was captured and illustrated wonderfully. Make no mistake, this is not a movie, it is a film. There are no glitzy special effects and nothing to suggest that there will be a happy ending, but it is a well-made examination of what one man will do to do what he thinks must be done. If you want a happy Hollywood flick, go see 22 Jump Street or something. If you want to see serious atmospheric filmmaking, check out The Rover. $6
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 00:18:18 +0000
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