The Rover (2014) - A dreary journey to Michôd's desolate, hopeless Australia

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A poster for David Michôd's The Rover that reflects the film's gritty, often open-air setting

In a post-apocalyptic future in Australia, a hard, merciless man gets his car stolen. He teams up with a brother to one of the robbers on a killing spree to get it back.

Gritty, taciturn, violent and sprinkled with the familiar Australian trademark of hopelessness as its general tone is the universe in which The Rover drags itself through. Watching it, it is hard to accept that the Guy Pearce (Lockout (2012)) here is the same man who 20 years in the past was such a thrilling, enthusiastic presence in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), - a very different, and infinitely more lovable kind of animal.
Robert Pattinson (Little Ashes (2008)) is the strongest card on The Rover's hand: He is impressive and very credible as the somewhat retarded brother of the robber. It is hard to get engaged in The Rover, SPOILER which is essentially about a murdering bastard and his stupid 'partner', who also becomes a (child-)killer.
We are given no information about the causes of the world's decline, and I also find no satisfaction in the reveal of the ending: SPOILER Pearce apparently wanted the car back so badly throughout the film, so that he could bury his dog, which was in its trunk.
The film is written and directed by David Michôd (Animal Kingdom (2010)) with Joel Edgerton (The Gift (2015)) contributing story elements. The Rover is a technically fine but desert-like dry film. For a much better apocalyptic film, watch The Road (2009).

Related posts:

David Michôd: 2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]

2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV] 

2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
Animal Kingdom (2010) - Ruthless Aussies in tight debut
Hesher (2010) - Susser's immature, rebel-centered debut (co-writer)

 

Watch a teaser trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 12 mil. AU$, equal to approximately 8.5 mil. $

Box office: 3.2 mil. $

= Box office disaster

[The Rover premiered May 18 (Cannes) and runs 102 minutes. Filming took 7 weeks in Southern Australia from January - March 2013. The film opened #33 to 69k $ in 5 theaters, widening to 418k $ and #16 in 608 theaters in North America, where it grossed 1.1 mil. $ (34 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Australia with 0.4 mil. $ (12.5 %) and the UK with 0.2 mil. $ (6.3 %). Many critics lauded the film, and Quentin Tarantino, also a vocal fan of Animal Kingdom, called The Rover "a mesmerizing, visionary achievement." The film received many nominations in its native Australia, including 7 AACTA nominations (Australia's Oscar), winning two. The Rover is fresh at 66 % with a 6.4 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Rover?

Monsters (2010) - Edwards' fascinating, impressive guerilla filmmaking debut

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2 Film Excess nominations:

Best Lead Actress: Whitney Able (lost to Jennifer Connelly for Virginia/What's Wrong with Virginia)
Best Digital Effects (lost to Alice in Wonderland)

 

+ Best Monster Movie of the Year

+ Best Low-Budget Movie of the Year

 

Above the title on this poster for Gareth Edwards' Monsters is the film's cool tagline

Years after an alien invasion, the giant monsters have been interned in South America, where an American photographer is now given the assignment to get his boss' daughter back to the States. But the road is long and full of obstacles...

Monsters is based on an unusual, exciting and original idea: It is an ultra-low budget giant creature feature without the mass destruction scenes the subgenre has grown us accustomed to but scoring on other parameters. The story is driven by a special, terrific mood stemming from all the action taking place in a world that has restructured after the fact of the alien coming, a world that is post great ideals; the collapse has, on more than one front, already happened.
The chemistry and dynamic between the two fine leads, portrayed by now married Scoot McNairy (Gone Girl (2014)) and Whitney Able (Mercy (2009)), who is especially wonderful, is gold to the film. It was made in a real guerilla filmmaking spirit (read more below), and this is reflected in the sense of realism and truthfulness of the film, which is rarely found in its mega-budgeted cousins.
Some may feel themselves led on by the film's title, because the film really doesn't show too many monsters at all. Besides the qualities already mentioned, Monsters also has a strong, surprising ending and some very well-made CGI.
It is the feature debut for great British writer-director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla (2014)), who won the latter, mega-budgeted giant creature feature directing gig based on this impressive film.

Related posts:

Gareth Edwards: 2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Godzilla (2014) - Best Godzilla ever!!!
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 0.5 mil. $

Box office: 4.2 mil. $

= Huge hit

[Monsters premiered March 13 (SXSW, Austin, Texas) and runs 94 minutes. Edwards had wanted to make a giant creature feature for more than a decade, getting derailed by War of the Worlds and Cloverfield. The film was shot with only a treatment with almost all of its lines getting improvised during production and most of the extras getting played by willing strangers the crew met on their adventure. Filming took place in America, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Mexico in just 3 weeks with a total crew of 7 people. 100 hours of footage was edited down, and Edwards created the film's CGI effects himself in 5 months in his bedroom. The film opened #54 in just 3 theaters to a 20k $ first weekend, expanding to 25 theaters and grossing 237k $ (5.6 % of the total gross) in North America. Its 3 biggest markets were the UK with 1.44 mil. $ (34.3 %), Russia with 1.40 mil. $ (33.3 %) and Mexico with 463k $ (11 %). Roger Ebert gave the film 3½ stars, equal to one notch better than this review. It was nominated for 6 awards at the British Independent Film Awards, winning Best Director, Best Technical Achievement and Best Achievement in Production. Edwards was also nominated as Best Director's Debut at the BAFTAs, but didn't win. A sequel, Monsters: Dark Continent (2015), was made without the direct involvement of the creators of Monsters and flopped. Monsters is fresh at 72 % with a 6.6 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Monsters?

Argo (2012) or, The Hollywood Hero

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Ben Affleck's giant head with a red strip of film over it on the poster for Ben Affleck's Argo

QUICK REVIEW:

6 Americans are secret house guests by necessity at the Canadian embassy in 1979 in Tehran, Iran. From home, a daring rescue mission is being constructed around a fake science fiction-film to be shot partially in Iran.
Ben Affleck's (The Town (2010)) triumph Argo is an impeccable suspense movie with political ties a' la The China Syndrome (1979) with a wonderful, comedic Hollywood-angle in Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine (2006)) and John Goodman's (Monsters, Inc. (2001)) great parts, - and many other fine actors.

John Goodman and Alan Arkin in Ben Affleck's Argo

Irreproachable production; the script by Chris Terrio (Batman vs. Superman (2016)) amuses in the last act, as various suspense-building obstacles are placed in front of the escaping group of Americans in hostile land.

 

The escape group of Ben Affleck's Argo face yet another obstacle

Argo is an excellent, historical thriller, which won three Oscars for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing.
Affleck seems to be leaving directing again now for the (next long) time being, since he has been cast as the next Batman (in Batman vs. Superman (2016) and later in Justice League), - the kind of multi-million dollar leotard-wearing job that easily rips out years and years from a poor man's life.

Watch the great trailer for Argo here

Budget: 44.5 mil. $
Box office: 232.3 mil. $
= Big hit

What do you think of Argo and Affleck's other achievements?
How would you describe going from making Argo to playing Batman?