Tracks (John Curran, 2013) prod. Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, wr. Marion Nelson, John Curran, dp Mandy Walker; Mia Wasikowska, Adam Driver, Lily Pearl; Robyn Davidson's story; premiere Adelaide FF October 2013; Aust release 6 March; just less than two hours; young woman on 1700mile trek across deserts of WA with four camels and a dog
Mandy Walker's cinematography in this is wonderful. It makes you forget what a dismal and pointless story it is. At one point towards the end Mia Wasikowska's character says something like she wished she had never started this. ... So do we.
Robyn Davidson walks under the sky past lots and lots of desert. The problem for the writer (Marion Nelson) is to make it seem as tho something is happening. Typically, a scene begins with Davidson/Wasikowska waving up and finding ... something - like an arrival, a danger, an intruder, whatever - and she deals with it, and ... repeat. And she gets to the ocean on the other side of the continent, and ... roll credits. Yawn.
This is about 100 minutes too long. The dog dies, by the way. Like I cared.
Garry Gillard | New: 10 June, 2014 | Now: 30 May, 2023