A daring and realistic look at the breakdown of society, The Rover Review

The Rover ( Rated R ) 

Often when a film depicts a post-apocalyptic world, it is at the hand of a zombie uprising or nuclear war and, it is always over the top. It is rare to see such a realistic depiction of how the world could change. The Rover is not Mad Max, while there is action, a car chase along with a few shootout's this is not an action film. What is presented is a well-made character piece, following Guy Pearce as he tracks down his stolen car. Guy delivers another phenomenal performance, his character is not a likable one at first glance. Hardened by the world he is in, he often resorts to violent acts to solve the problems he is presented with. Nevertheless, as the film progresses his character reveals many layers, he does not kill without reason, this is how he survives the harsh reality of the world around him. During his journey, he meets Robert Pattinson, who is the brother of one of the men who took Pearce's car. Pattinson gives easily the best performance of his career, he may start off annoying but as the film goes along you start to care about his character, as crazy as he is.

Oddly enough for a film with such a dark subject, the mood is not overly depressing. There are plenty of films with this subject matter, and they are often just so dark and depressing that watching them is a mentally taxing experience. The Rover has its share of dark scenes, and plenty of emotional moments. However, like the films warm colors, it never left me feeling hopeless for the characters. This is a deliberately paced film, that spends much of its 100 minute running time developing its characters, this film is built around the two characters interactions.  

It is slow, and there are plenty of scenes without any real relevance to the plot. Some of the scenes feature no dialogue, and that is the beauty of the film, the two main characters have real depth, it is not about their characters changing throughout the film; but the film slowly allowing us to get to know them, that is what makes this film so captivating the performances. Without two actors who could competently carry this film, it would simply have failed. 

While the brilliance of the film will not be absorbed by those wanting The Road Warrior, and due to the somewhat reprehensible acts committed by the main characters, the film will not appeal to everyone. Yet, the way the characters act is simply how they survive the world in the film. It is not that they wish to harm others, they simply are trying to survive a very unforgiving reality. The plot may be thin, but it is the superb performances and writing that made this such a fantastic film. Saying a film is good, does not always mean it is an enjoyable experience. Often the worlds created for these kinds of films, are so dark and depressing, that viewing those films is not for enjoyment but the experience. Because of that so many of those films while technically sound, are just not films I could ever watch again. However, The Rover is a film I can not wait to watch again and again.