LAST RIDE (M)

Starring Hugo Weaving, Tom Russell

Directed by Glendyn Ivin

3 stars

You’ve got to give it to Hugo Weaving. His ability to sniff out humanity in the most loathsome characters is what makes him one of our finest actors.

Take Little Fish or his rendering of Kev in Glendy Ivin’s morose drama, Last Ride. Kev’s not a nice bloke. A violent thug on the run from a yet-to-be-explained crime, he’s grabbed his son Chook (Tom Russell) and forces the kid to sleep rough while he ‘sorts things out’.

What’s to like about the man? Not much and therein Weaving’s talent, and Ivin’s problem.

Last Ride is a not-unfamiliar road movie that takes Chook and Kev across country, most of it outback, while the pair learn a few things. Kev to be a bit more parental, eight-year-old Chook to be a bit more manly.

Ivin makes stunning use of SA locations as visual story telling is brought to the fore.

There is a surprising amount to enjoy from a film which breaks little new ground and is focused on such an unlikeable character. As with many a road-trip, it’s all about the journey rather than the destination, one that is frustratingly enigmatic.

But if you’re happy to let performance and location do its job, Last Ride is a moody, atmospheric success.