First things first – The Rover is an impeccably performed, existential, post-apocalyptic drama with Western overtones. It’s also a somber, low-key and ponderous affair that leaves the viewer to make their own assumptions about what it all means. While this reviewer could appreciate the technique and pick up on the arguments, this is an example where the whole feels like a little less than the sum of its parts. It’s certainly a good film, but one can’t help but wish there was more to it, at least thematically. Whether there is enough beneath the surface to make it worthwhile for the individual will depend on one’s own interpretation.
Loner Eric (Guy Pearce) is not a happy man. The world is in ruins. As if that isn’t enough, after stopping at a bar for a beer, a car crashes outside and his vehicle is stolen. It’s taken by Henry (Scoot McNairy) and a gang of nefarious types heading towards parts unknown. The now even-more-disagreeable Eric begins his pursuit. He soon discovers Rey (Robert Pattinson), the slow-witted and wounded brother of Henry. Eric immediately takes the young man captive and travels through the Australian outback to retrieve his vehicle. Along the way, brief comments give us a little more background into the gruff antihero.
The world created for this film is certainly an interesting one. There are still shops and suppliers, but business seems to be done by sketchy characters in dilapidated buildings with a loaded gun in hand. It truly is a modern and stylized Western. The film is shot in widescreen with long takes, featuring an antihero who rarely speaks. His seems driven and possessed in his simple goal of getting his car back at any cost. The mood is well established early on and the early confrontations are ripe with tension and suspense.
In the limited moments of conversation, the movie’s themes become clearer. Eric speaks of his personal history and a troubling death that occurred as the collapse began. The worst part, he suggests, was how it inconsequential it seemed to those around. He’s a man looking for meaning in life among the chaos, and for him certain rituals have significance and add importance to existence. It’s a simple credo (and of course, he’s willing to gun down anyone to follow through on it) but for Eric, this is what gives life value and worth.
Frankly, it’s a very simple message for a film. This is as minimalist as it gets – events occur slowly and violent actions are carried out coldly without emotion. If it weren’t for the excellent performances by the leads, one would easily lose interest. Pearce carries a lot of determinism, but there’s also a sense of sadness that is easy to read and empathize with. Pattinson is a real surprise as well. He is completely transformed and utterly believable as a simple, easily suggestible country bumpkin.
While it is well executed and does everything efficiently enough, one does wish that film itself had aspired to a bit more – in spite of its best efforts, this is the cinematic equivalent of a Country music song. The surprise ending provides a bit of a chuckle, but doesn’t leave one thinking about big existential questions (which one assumes was the intention). In all, The Rover is a good movie, but one that never becomes quite as deep or emotionally involving as it should be. It is definitely interesting and only time will tell if it stays in the brain. However, first impressions suggest that it’s one to admire more than enjoy.