Director: Glendyn Ivin
Screenplay: Mac Gudgeon
Producers: Antonia Barnard, Nicholas Cole, Nick Cole
Starring: Hugo Weaving, Tom Russell, Anita Hegh, John Brumpton
MPAA Rating: NYR
Running time: 90 min.

Looking for the perfect companion piece to Cormac MacCarthy’s The Road (our review)? Then look no further as Glendyn Ivin’s Last Ride is just the ticket you’re looking for. Not set in a post-apocalyptic world, but rather in a desolate and sparsely populated Australian Outback, a rugged, middle-aged man (Kev) and young son (Chook) struggle to survive while quite obviously on the run from a troubled recent past.

The film is maybe more comparable to Clint Eastwood’s A Perfect World starring Kevin Costner with the only major detail change being that the boy in Last Ride is our anti-hero’s son. But the comparison still sticks as the two outlaws cross the gorgeous Aussie Outback sleeping wherever and stealing whatever they can; causing a substantial amount of intentional and unintentional amount of understated mayhem in their wake. What differentiates this film from Eastwood’s is the difference in expectations that our main characters have and wish for. While young Chook wants nothing more than a good family structure and a warm bed in his very own home, Kev wants nothing of it and would rather his son learn the ways of the world in the harshness of said world.

Hugo Weaving’s (as Kev) presence here is really what gives this film it’s most worthy merit. Without it, I’m not sure that the beauty of the outback on its own would be enough to carry the audience through this incredibly slow burn of a film. Still, the decision to show us the story as opposed to telling us the story, works much better in keeping the audience’ attention. Clear as it is that our protagonists are on the run from something, only through interaction and use of subtle clues do we finally see what secret or actions it is that they are actually running/hiding from – though one can guess rather quickly accurately what that is.

I’m not entirely sure that what the film says is all that new or profound, but how it goes about saying it is a pleasant viewing experience. The father/son dynamic is intricate and revealing and quite the introspective look at fatherhood. Blink and you’ll miss it mentions of Kev’s childhood give an interesting look as to who Kev is as a father and maybe who he strives to be. The almost indiscernible personalities that can emerge from Kev at the drop of a hat can be warming and heartfelt one minute and sinister and violent the next. Without speaking directly about his past, we can infer certain ideals and lessons learned in Kev’s past.

Unlike The Road, rather than babying the boy, Hugo Weaving’s character in Last Ride seems to be trying to really prepare his son for manhood and what to expect and what to take from the world at large. It might not always be the best methods and in many cases
probably not the best of lessons in the first place, but by all appearances, he is trying. While The Road is intent on telling a compelling story with some suspense and intensity, Last Ride is more content in giving us a compelling character study without all of the theatrics.

Chook too becomes quite the character arc with a lot of minute-hand speed development. Arguably a coming of age tale we can clearly see where Chook has started and where he winds up. He’s a scared, young lad that by the end of the film has seen what could be and becomes courageous enough to stand up for himself and do what he believes is right; no matter the consequences.

If the story line doesn’t quite do it for you, the gorgeous shooting of the Australian setting certainly will. Taking place in the harsh desert and moving into forested areas and greenery of small towns gives the film a real feel of movement. Our characters aren’t merely just here and then there. There is a clear delineation of their whereabouts and each setting is as unique as the last. One of the film’s key sequences is breathtakingly shot across the outback’s Lake Gairdner. Perhaps the desolate and vastness of the lake’s shallow water represent a sort of uncertainty or maybe a gentle calm before an impending proverbial storm. Whatever; it is quite the spectacle.

Perhaps comparing the films of Eastwood and Hillcoat with that of Last Ride are unjustified, but since they tackle near identical subject matter within a comparable story arc it’s easy to see the similarities. Particularly since the latter were screened mere hours apart at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. So I’ll continue with the comparison/ranking. While I think I enjoyed Hillcoat’s The Road much more upon first glance, I think Last Ride will prove to be the more rewatchable film as the subtleties in the character arcs and the actor’s performances are more pronounced and that much more ripe for further investigation.