Every few years a film comes along wherein every element works, leading to a completely realized piece of cinema – Last Ride is one of those films.
Kev (Hugo Weaving) and his ten-year-old son, Chook (Tom Russell), are on the run, and at first we don't know why – and neither does Chook. Travelling further and further into the Australian outback, they dump their car and buy tickets for the bus, and then ditch the bus and start hitchhiking. The two clearly have an unusual but still oddly functional relationship, despite Kev's periodic absences in the past to do jail time.
One night after bedding Chook down, Kev sets out in search of food but is drawn to the local pub. A news story on television reveals that Max (John Brumpton), a close friend, has been murdered and police are on the hunt. Trying to stay one step ahead of the law, Kev keeps the pair moving, finally confessing to Chook that Max is dead. Confused and tired, Chook attacks his father, and this burst of anger catapults the pair into a series of dramatic confrontations, which resolve in surprising and gratifying ways.
What makes Last Ride such a remarkable experience is the extraordinary quality and consistency of its artistic elements. Mac Gudgeon's script, based on the novel by Denise Young, is everything a screenplay should be, with not a word extra but each word meaning something. Drawing on his design background, director Glendyn Ivin teams with cinematographer Greig Fraser to create images of compelling beauty and power, perfectly framing the characters portrayed by Weaving and Russell, whom you never for a second doubt as father and son. Weaving gives what may be the best performance of his already notable career, deftly capturing Kev's struggle between his nature and his aspirations and all the moral complexity that implies. Newcomer Tom Russell meets him toe to toe, showing us the warrior heart of a young boy who knows that love runs deep, and down many roads.
Jane Schoettle
Glendyn Ivin was born in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia, and studied graphic design before attending the School of Film and Television at Swinburne University of Technology. He has directed the short films
Cracker Bag (03), which won the Palme d'Or for best short film at the Cannes Film Festival, and
The Desert (06).
Last Ride (09) is his feature directorial debut.