Last Cab to Darwin - Film Review

Last Cab to Darwin - Film Review

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Posted 2015-08-22 by PerthKelfollow
Michael Caton has the starring role in the movie Last Cab to Darwin directed by Jeremy Sims. This film is based on a true story.



Michael Caton is well known for comedic roles throughout his career and this film was a pleasant surprise to see his performance as he has been cast in a more dramatic role. His character, taxi driver Rex, is a terminally ill cancer patient and the film details his journey from Broken Hill to Darwin, where he plans to die on 'his own terms'. While the stopovers on his travels as he drives his taxi to the NT are classically "aussie" in style it is the relationships he forms with others along the way that make this film intriguing.

As Rex struggles to come to terms with his diagnosis he also has to deal with his relationships with his friends and their reactions to his decisions. Along with the controversial and thought provoking topic of euthanasia, the film touches on the relationship between a white man and an indigenous woman, social mores and norms and expectations and judgements of and by others around him.

Rex sets out with a purposeful goal in mind, that is to gain access to his right to die as he chooses. He leaves behind his indigenous partner Polly that he has never fully acknowledged. He meets a young aboriginal man named Tilley. Tilley is a larrikin character wonderfully portrayed by Mark Coles Smith. Rex is nursed along on part of his journey by Julie, a backpacker aptly played by Emma Hamilton.

As he travels through iconic places such as Oodnadatta and the Mindalong markets along his 3000km journey Rex's travel experiences and the people he meets and those left behind in Broken Hill all contribute to determining his perspective on what he values in his life. At times humorous this film is a bit of an emotional roller coaster as it deals with racial issues, people with little or no support networks and the impact of euthanasia on family and friends.

The casting of the characters in this dramatic film is really well done and a credit to those involved.

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87692 - 2023-06-11 07:42:06

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