*REVIEWS* "The Rover" at the Sidney Film Festival 2014.... with Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce...

...

 

 

 

from Graffiti with Punctuation

Pattinson is nothing short of unbelievable. Forget anything that you’ve ever seen him in before, this is a towering, career defining performance. Like Leo DiCaprio in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Ryan Gosling’s Half Nelson or Al Pacino’s Dog Day Afternoon – this is the one that sees the young actor nurtured to his full potential.Every single stammering unenunciated southern turn of phrase disguises the erudite Brit made famous by being the prettiest, sparkliest vampire ever. Watching his impressionable nature absorb the bleak philosophy of our man with no name (Pearce) creates a tragic Stockholm syndrome, which also affects his companion.

from Matt's Movie Reviews 

David Michod’s The Rover is a brooding and intense journey into a graceless world, with Robert Pattinson delivering a fascinating, career defining performance in the process. 

... 

The two man show of Pearce and Pattinson is outstanding. Pearce delivers one of his strongest turns in his portrayal of a man wounded, scarred and hardened by an uncompromising land, while also deploying a stare that can burn a hole through a brick wall.
Yet it’s Pattinson who fascinates with his turn as Rey, taking pains to shed that teen heartthrob image with a grubby and dirty look, complete with thick southern accent. Portraying a man of limited mental capacity, Pattinson is almost childlike in a performance sprinkled with jitters, hesitations and ramblings, yet never resulting in caricature, a wholly sympathetic character in an unsympathetic world.It is indeed proving to be an interesting post-Twilight career for Pattinson, who is wisely choosing projects directed by filmmakers of integrity (two films by David Cronenberg proceeded this, and films by Werner Herzog and Anton Corbijn will come after).

from SciFiNow

Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson are superb in bleak near-future chase film The Rover. 

... 

It’s a tremendous performance from Pattinson, who avoids easy choices and cliches to make Rey a sympathetic and ultimately moving figure. Eric’s looking for what’s his, and Rey is looking for family. It’s this relationship that provides The Rover with much of its power. Pearce seethes with searing, desperate energy that’s beautifully matched by Pattinson’s mumbling, cautious attempts at optimism. Some of the film’s most affecting moments come when Michôd’s camera lingers on the characters when they’re alone: Pearce staring at a room full of silent caged dogs, or Pattinson quietly singing “Don’t hate me ‘cause I’m beautiful,” along to Keri Hilson’s ‘Pretty Girl Rock’ on the car radio. 

... 

The Rover is brutal and gripping, and its profound sense of loss gives it impressive emotional depth; it will stay with you long after the credits roll.

from The L Magazine

It’s not hard to guess whether the “halfwit” Rey has something to teach the far-gone loner Eric about the value of fellow feeling, but Pattinson is enough of a revelation to hold you through these more straight-ahead passages. Speaking with a Southern drawl and struggling through something of a stammer, the actor turns in a heavily (but not distractingly) mannered performance, portraying Rey as shell-shocked, chronically nervous about where his allegiances should lie.

from Sydney Morning Herald 

If there is less spontaneity, there is more to think about, which can have its attractions. Pattinson, almost unrecognizable as a dim-witted boy from the American south, renovates his screen image with this performance, but the film offers meagre emotional rewards, given that the two leading men barely speak.

from 2ser

The film follows Guy Pearce's unnamed character as he seeks to get back something that was taken from him. For most of his journey he's stuck with Rey, played by Robert Pattinson in astounding form. Their relationship is an awkward one, which quickly switches between death threats and saving each others lives, more than once. I loved this film. The cinematography is stunning, the sound design sets the perfect mood and the acting is brilliant. The breathtaking shots of deserts, mountains and towns make the setting as important a character as any of the actors.

from Director's Cut Movies

Robert Pattinson steals the show with his groundbreaking performance, Guy Pearce now trailing too far behind. Robert Pattinson's not too bad an actor, it's just the material that's bringing his credibility down such as the Twilight Saga. The Rover will literally change everybody's perspective on him. Pattinson gives one of the best male performances of the year and it's certainly his best performance to date 

...... 

To sum up, The Rover is a triumphant return of David Michôd with a fantastic screenplay, brilliant direction, successful cinematography, shocking and gruesome violence and some of the best performances of the year.

from Spotlight Report 

To say this feature is as bleak as the terrain it is set in would be an understatement. Bleak but beautiful as is the harsh world that sets the backdrop for the picture. There are three undeniable stars of The Rover – Pearce, Pattinson and the Australian landscape that is equal measures stunning, dangerous and unyielding. 

..... 

Whilst Pearce appears to be dead inside, Pattinson’s sweet naivety and loyalty is endearing. He has misplaced hope in a world where there is no place for such luxuries. He plays the role perfectly and flexes acting muscles that have previously lain dormant in the less challenging roles he is known for, capturing the stunning simplicity of his character. 

source: thanks to ROBsessed for compiling them...
gifs: Tumblr: sarark