And if that still hasn’t got your blood pumping, how about taking a quick look at David Michôd’s first film, the aforementioned Animal Kingdom? Anchored around a family with strong ties to Melbourne-based crime culture, the film is violent, brutal and deeply brooding, highlighting the director’s flair for tense, gripping cinema. The Cody family are all wonderfully well-acted, too, particularly by Ben Mendelsohn as a cop-hating sociopath who has a serious problem with self-pity.
The aspect of the film that bares the most significance on how The Rover may turn out though is the performance and storyline of James Frecheville as Joshua (or simply J.) Cody. This is due to the sense that the character faces a moral dilemma that threatens to shatter any allegiance to the family his blood dictates. Just as we are expecting from Robert Pattinson, Frecheville shoulders the dichotomy of good and evil, caught in a world he isn’t sure he belongs. His family-ties are questioned (by Guy Pearce’s character, Det. Leckie, oddly enough) as he struggles to find himself in a household ruled by chaos and war.
The fact that Animal Kingdom was a massive critical success – earning an Oscar nomination for Jacki Weaver – just screams that Michôd knows what he’s doing when it comes to moral dilemma. He may have changed the timeframe, but expect his characters to be just as well-rounded and despicable this time around.
It’s safe to say after Animal Kingdom David Michôd has left a sizeable mark on the film industry – and as recognition of his emerging talent, The Rover has been granted a spot at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Perhaps the most illustrious event in the film calendar apart from the Academy Awards, Cannes has the ability to make or break a movie’s reputation in one night.
Just last year, Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives was torn apart by a hostile audience after the much celebrated Drive had earned so much respect a couple of years prior. The Rover’s inclusion is definitely an exciting prospect for all involved, but it must be taken with a pinch of salt; the real test of the film’s credentials will be after the first screening on May 19. That being said, we’re betting on this one being one of the most pleasant surprises at the fest this year.