Director David Caesar can turn a pretty boring life topic into an interesting human observational drama. He did it with lawn bowls and the politics that go behind it in his first feature film Greenkeeping, and then again in Idiot Box about down-and-outs with a dream for a better life that involves robbing a bank for it to become a reality.
With Prime Mover he moves his fascination further outback to the life of goofy Thomas who has a romantic notion of owning his own truck. The story set-up is sweet and leads you into a false sense, expecting another Aussie quirky movie. But in the hands of Mr. Caesar, it rolls into bleakness as Thomas' dream turns into a nightmare.
The cast did well in carrying this sometime clunky story. The pairing of actors Michael Dorman and Emily Barclay is perfect. Their love for gypsy music fits in perfectly with their chosen life style, specially with Dorman's character roaming around the countryside in his big truck. Ben Mendelsohn can do nasty so well, and William McInnes is one of the finest Australian actors going around at the moment.
Prime Mover is another great Australian story that needed to be told, and that of the plight of the truck driver and the world they have to survive in. It'd be interesting to see what Australian culture David Caesar tackles for his next feature.
With Prime Mover he moves his fascination further outback to the life of goofy Thomas who has a romantic notion of owning his own truck. The story set-up is sweet and leads you into a false sense, expecting another Aussie quirky movie. But in the hands of Mr. Caesar, it rolls into bleakness as Thomas' dream turns into a nightmare.
The cast did well in carrying this sometime clunky story. The pairing of actors Michael Dorman and Emily Barclay is perfect. Their love for gypsy music fits in perfectly with their chosen life style, specially with Dorman's character roaming around the countryside in his big truck. Ben Mendelsohn can do nasty so well, and William McInnes is one of the finest Australian actors going around at the moment.
Prime Mover is another great Australian story that needed to be told, and that of the plight of the truck driver and the world they have to survive in. It'd be interesting to see what Australian culture David Caesar tackles for his next feature.