Thematically recalling Clint Eastwood's 1993 saga A Perfect World, this drama from Australia hones in on a troubled adult man and a young boy fleeing from the law. The pair in this case, however, are a father and son. Kev (Hugo Weaving) and his ten-year-old boy Chook) journey deep into the recesses of the Australian outback, first abandoning their car, then riding by bus, and finally, hitchhiking across the wastelands. Their past is a deeply dysfunctional one, marred by ex-convict Kev's periodic
absences from home while serving time, and Chook's only fleetingly successful attempts to understand his conflicted dad. The relationship comes to a head, however, when Kev visits a pub and hears about the murder of a close friend, Max (John Brumpton) . When Kev informs Chook of Max's death, Chook explodes with anger against his dad, forcing father and son into a series of life-changing confrontations. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
A beautifully drawn, moody film filled with poetry, as it describes the troubled relationship between a father and son. It is all at once a road movie and a coming of age story in which murder, curiosity and struggling to survive are key.
Glendyn Ivin's natural cinematic flair ensures the smooth transition from text to screen in a story that Mac Gudgeon has scripted with a sparse, raw, slow-burning dynamic.
Weaving has a brilliant instinct for playing damaged men, as he did in Little Fish. Kev is a heartbreaking character, a hard-shelled survivor. Weaving captures all his brittleness, the years of damage.
The landscape plays a big part in this journey into darkness, this land of ours which draws the marginalised into its own sense of alienation. A tough film but a very, very good one.
The first half hour or so stumbles; the movie's so determined to avoid melodrama that it's too flat and too familiar. Once father and son are out in the remote countryside, though, something clicks.
Weaving draws on his vast experience to show the complexities of his rugged and violent character, while also offering glimpses of the man's softer side and his genuine affection for his growing son.
Absolutly great movie, definetly one of the best I've seen the last years. Brilliant actors, beautiful landscape shots and a very moody atmosphere: Everything is harmonious in this movie.
January 27, 2012
Jo Fa
Very much like Eastwood's disturbing A Perfect World but not so disturbing that it is unwatchable. Australia is showing that they can make movies every bit as good as Hollywood.
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