Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Director: Rachel Perkins, Roadshow Entertainment.
Cast: Aaron Pedersen, Judy Davis, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair, Colin Friels, Ernie Dingo.
Mystery surrounds the disappearance of two young men on an Australian cattle station in the small town of Patterson in remote Western Australia.
That’s when local cop Emma James (Davis) calls in veteran Detective Jay Swan (Pedersen) to help find out what happened to them. The situation is harrowing enough, without it being exacerbated with the trouble caused by two unexpected visitors.
Add to that some small town politics. As an Aboriginal man who is also a detective, Swan is an outsider. Looked on suspiciously by his community and by his profession, Swan doesn’t let unknown factors act as a deterrent. Things are under his control.
Jay’s investigation soon uncovers a past injustice that threatens the fabric of the whole community.
Described as ‘outback noir’, Jay goes to help the local police investigate the whereabouts of football hero Marley Thompson (Aaron McGrath) and backpacker Reese (Connor Van Vuuren), who was working as a farm hand on a property owned by Tony Ballantyne (Friels).
Jay is caught in a situation where discord is prevalent. He is dedicated to his work that puts strain on his estranged wife, Mary (Tasma Walton) and daughter, Crystal (Madeleine Madden).
Jay is a conflicted hero: “He’s caught between two worlds … the black community doesn’t trust him because he’s a cop; the white establishment doesn’t really trust him because he’s black.”
Even though it’s an off-shoot, Mystery Road is a self-contained account. This six-part television series is a by-product of Ivan Sen’s 2013 film. It selects up on the narrative that lies between the 2013 film and its 2016 ‘spiritual sequel’, Goldstone.
This is an enjoyable film with a great cast and exceptional cinematography by Mark Wareham.
The series by Perkins (Radiance, Jasper Jones) has some virtues; one of them is the seriously respectable performance from Pedersen as the Akubra-wearing outback detective in jeans and boots.
