Movies set in a future resembling a burned out husk have long been the
bastion of indie filmmakers looking to skirt around budgetary issues, and if "burned
out husk" is what one is looking for then the south Australian outback
requires the minimum of alteration. In short, it's a desolate place, perfect
for a story of men frayed at the edges, ruined by a society that crumbled a
decade prior. There are still laws, albeit nobody to really enforce them. Money
is practically worthless, food at a premium and petrol even more so.
Mercenaries stalk the streets, crucified men litter the highways, and basically
every encounter could be your last. Familiar or not, Michod paints a terrifying
picture of a hopeless world.
Guy Pearce, hiding behind a thick beard and far-away eyes, is Eric, a man
without a past, certainly without much of a future, and only one possession and
that's his car. After stopping by a nearby "bar" for a drink, his car
is stolen by three shady types (one is played by Scoot McNairy) clearly on the
getaway from something. Eric stalks them down in another vehicle, only to have
them get the upper hand and flee, once again in his car. The rest of the film
is about this mysterious man's tunnel vision in getting the car back and
gaining some measure of revenge on those who took it.
First he encounters the simple-minded Rey (Pattinson), who was shot and left
for dead by his brother, one of the guys Eric is seeking out. The film relies
heavily on the bonding between these two, which has moments of gallows
enlightenment as they kill their way to where Eric's car is stashed. “You should never stop thinking about a life you’ve taken. That’s the
price you pay for taking it", Eric says during one of their many
roadside conversations. Eric doesn't speak much, hardly at all really, but when he does
it's to say things like this. And they would have considerably more meaning if
Michod, who co-wrote the script with Joel Edgerton, had a clearer definition
for the character. Bodies pile up, mostly for no good reason and largely at
Eric's hand, and he doesn't seem the least bit concerned about them. In one
memorable moment, he buys a pistol from a little person only to shoot him with
it immediately after, basically out of annoyance. At some point the bleak
locale has become an excuse to portray excessive levels of violence without
having to be concerned about why there is so much bloodshed. Michod offers no
real reason for anything, and it's too much to say the film is about
nothingness. That's not true. The utterly pretentious "twist" ending
tells us Michod wants it to be about something, he just never gets around to
letting us in on what it is. A small hint of sentimentality emerges through the
harshness and it feels utterly misplaced and unearned. Like Animal Kingdom,
Michod specializes in establishing mood, especially the desolation that follows
bad people who live a life of doing terrible things.
Pearce should be getting more leading roles but he seems to favor
show-stopping supporting turns at this point. In a rare starring turn he's
especially gruff and haunted. It's not a part that requires much from him yet
he delivers what's expected and more. The more interesting performance is by
Pattinson who has basically jettisoned Hollywood limelight behind to flex his
dramatic muscles with indie directors. So far it hasn't really worked out, and
it doesn't really work out here either. With his teeth a mangled mess and his
nerves all jittery, Pattinson's portrayal of Rey is too practiced, too aware.
What's impressive is Pattinson's dedication to the role and willingness to
branch out into something like this in the first place.Animal Kingdom was a confident debut that promised Michod as a bright new filmmaking voice. Too much of that voice has been silenced with The Rover but he should have no problem regaining it next time.
