In the very near future, the government of Australia has completely collapsed. The cities are run by the military and the outback has turned into the wild west. A daring crime has just taking place, four men took out an army barracks, and only three returned, but while fleeing, they crashed their car, luckily, there is one by the side of the road. That car belongs to a man named Eric, and he really loves his car. Eric (Guy Pearce) jumps into the damaged car and chases after the men, only to lose them. He attempts to track them, when he's approached by a man claiming to be the fourth man left for dead, and Eric promises him, if he doesn't help him get his car back, the man will be dead for sure this time. The Rover certainly is a bizarre story and I honestly couldn't believe some of the place it went to, but in the end the story was really ingenious. Guy Pearce stars in his best role since Momento. I mean he really was the perfect choice for Eric and fit this role like a glove. Pearce is paired with Rob Pattinson who I couldn't stand until I saw this movie. My only experiences with Pattinson to this point had been a brief appearance in Harry Potter, and a couple of god awful Twilight movies. I honest thought he was just another one of these good looking guys, who couldn't act, but I was wrong. His character had so many dimensions to it, having to deal with a mental illness, while trying to understand conflicting emotions that he never had to deal with before. It was a tremendous performance. The film does have it's slow points and some of scenes are just sick and twisted, much better suited for a different genre, but all in all I really enjoyed this film. It was something different for a change in a unique setting. While it lacked any kind of background and the dialogue was almost nonexistent, one almost felt like you didn't really need it to understand or enjoy this film.

I am on the fence on this one. First off, a stellar acting job by the two main actors. Guy Pearce is always a treat to watch in any role he plays, but the real surprise is Robert Pattinson, who does an outstanding job in his role (who knew?).The story itself is a let down, with not much happening (save for a few grisly murders). The dialog is sparse, which was probably intentional, and the actors have to work at keeping the viewer's interest. It's kind of like a big piece of cake with fancy icing that turns out to be fairly tasteless with lots of empty calories.Here's a hint for you, the title has less to do with the main character that it does with what's in his car's trunk.So I give the movie 5 stars; 2 for the storyline and 9 for the acting. It is worth your time, just to enjoy Guy and Robert's fine acting job.

The Rover.Dark, mysterious and sad. Something the Aussies can do without exception. Guy Pierce is superb as are all the cast and that wonderful Aussie outback as the never ending backdrop. Stick with it as its what I believe is called a slow burner. Why does he want the car so much, see if you can work it out. I did the next day! Defenetly worth a look.

I am becoming ever more partial to Australian cinema. And the futuristic thriller "The Rover" has only served to amplify my growing admiration.Set a decade into the future after a catastrophic financial collapse, this severely stark story can't help but inspire a grim vibe of "The Road Warrior" smashes headlong into "The Book of Eli" variety of apocalyptic mood. The music is completely, and completely MIND-bending, Aussie indigenous. And the cinematography as realized throughout the ruthless terrain of the South Australian Outback by Natasha Braier is at once brutally gritty and strikingly spectacular.Guy Pearce is plain and simple one of the finest actors of our time. Pearce's searing depiction of a guy who, having lost everything that matters in his life, has nothing left to lose is as sympathetic as it is repugnant. And that ain't easy to pull off. With a lesser actor is would be impossible. And let it be said that Robert Pattinson is a sheer revelation. He is damn near unrecognizable here, both in appearance and affectation, as a mentally challenged, trigger-happy man-child who nonetheless fully comprehends when a blood brother has egregiously and unforgivably let him down.In the end we at last come to learn why Pearce's character of Eric is so viciously driven to recover the car a gang of ribald robbers had ripped off from him. And in that moment, and if possible, we find that we feel even more pity for the hopeless fate of this man doomed to be a rudderless rover for all the rest of his joyless days.Not exactly the cheery stuff of "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm", certainly. But then again, neither is the end of the world.