THE ROVER. A very stark spectacle [REVIEW]

A world struck by an indeterminate catastrophe. People, engulfed in despair, bunker down in their homes and roadside gas stations. A decadent atmosphere is palpable everywhere. Meanwhile, a road slicing through the Australian desert is traversed by a mysterious avenger. He moves in an unknown direction, heedless of obstacles. And judging by the fierce expression on his face, he most likely has nothing left to lose… This could be the opening of a rough description of a post-apocalyptic classic that now defines the genre. In this case, however, it refers to the film The Rover by Australian director David Michôd—a film representing, in a sense, the same dirty and corrupt world. But, once again, the devil lies in the details.

Michôd is a highly promising name. With Animal Kingdom, he showcased a fresh style and directorial sensitivity, presenting a family crime drama in a minimalist aesthetic. I must admit, this film captivated me with its peculiarity; I once gave it a high rating and have returned to it frequently. When I learned that the Australian director would tackle post-apocalyptic fiction in his next film—a subgenre of sci-fi close to my interests—I could do nothing but patiently await this project. The result? While I received a good product, I cannot say it fully met my expectations.

The Rover is a very stark spectacle. This applies both to the nature of the story and to the sparseness of its formal execution. Violence is blunt, and the locations resemble contemporary backwaters, which certainly enhances the sense of realism. Above all, however, the film is defined by narrative straightforwardness, with content that echoes Western conventions. The driving force of the plot is the need to recover a stolen car.

Why the vehicle is so important to the protagonist can only be guessed—but it is certain that he will not rest until he retrieves it. The script therefore takes a very simple path, and traveling it would even be enjoyable if the hero’s journey were not based on overused plotlines, further slowed by a deliberate, measured pace. Yet I have the impression that the director (also the screenwriter) wanted to convey that what matters most is not what the protagonist does during the chase, but who he encounters along the way.

At one point, he comes across an injured, developmentally delayed boy who, to make matters worse, turns out to be the brother of one of the pursued criminals. This marks the beginning of the most compelling segment of the film. The relationship that develops between these two characters defies easy definition, and its roots are ambiguous. Until the very end, it remains unclear whether the protagonist decides to take the boy under his wing out of a desire to help him, or because he plans to use him as bait.

By introducing a vulnerable and, in a way, defenseless character, the ruthlessness of the depicted world hits even harder, signaling that in such extreme circumstances, everyone, without exception, must summon the will to survive to avoid natural selection. The question of the bond between the characters thus becomes a question of the validity of altruism in an age of civilizational collapse.

This element of the film is also the most interesting because observing the actions of the duo is enriched by the high level of performance they deliver. Just as Guy Pearce has accustomed us to a remarkably wide and diverse range of acting skills, Robert Pattinson’s range was less certain. Emerging from the “romantic vampire” stereotype was not easy, but the actor made the effort, and his demanding role in The Rover became another step in refreshing his image and ultimately revealing his hidden talent. It may not be at the level of Hoffman in Rain Man (a film Michôd’s work, as one reviewer noted, is in some ways a nihilistic variation of), but Pattinson’s performance is convincing and absorbing enough to silence many of his critics for good.

Nevertheless, a minimal sense of disappointment remains. After what I saw in Animal Kingdom, I expected the director, in his next genre-interesting project, to reach new heights. Unfortunately, while there are no major technical shortcomings and the director’s signature is evident, the script offers too little, and its messages are delivered without conviction, dissipating in a cloud of desert dust.