A24 Films
The Rover
Director David Michôd’s bleak new thriller, The Rover, unfolds in the Australian Outback some ten years after a global economic collapse. It’s a weary desert landscape of abandoned hovels and dented sedans, far from the punk dystopia of Mad Max. The film’s protagonist is a remorseless, frazzled man named Eric (Guy Pearce). The viewer learns little about him, which is apt given how focused Eric is on day-to-day survival. He does have a vulnerability, however. When a trio of desperate criminals steals his car, Eric pursues them with the ruthless mania of a man who has nothing else to lose. The film adds a complicating factor when Eric encounters the wounded Rey (Robert Pattinson, playing almost unrecognizably against type). Left to die on the road, Rey happens to be the younger brother of one of the car thieves. Although high-strung and somewhat dimwitted, Rey becomes Eric’s unwilling guide, leading the way to the brothers’ rendezvous location and the boosted car.
On the surface, The Rover is a chase picture, one stripped down to its most essential elements: a hunter, his quarry, and an environment that is exposed and hostile. Michôd assembles his tale from forlorn lulls and sudden bursts of violence rather than relentless action. Along with Antony Partos’ fantastically gnawing score, this rhythm establishes an edgy, exhausted tone, fitting for a world where everyone sleeps with one eye open. Yet Rey’s presence creates a secondary dimension to the story. By taking the younger man captive, Eric assumes responsibility for him, and Rey responds with growing (if unwelcome) warmth and allegiance. Apart from its merits as a thriller, The Rover reveals itself as a raw tale about the hazy borders of obligation and loyalty, and about what sorts of bonds matter when everything else has crumbled to dust.
The Rover opens Friday, June 20 at the Landmark Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar, 314-995-6270.
