Film No. 47 (2015) July 2nd. 7.00 PM LUNA Leederville.
"You should try driven' two thousand k's with the bastard", (Tilly talks about his time in the cab with Rex).
Last Cab to Darwin.
Jeremy Sims (director) and Reg Cribb (writer) came upon a news article about Rex Bell a cab driver from Broken Hill back in the early 2000's. Rex had been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer and his prognosis was not good. Rex subsequently heard of the new Euthanasia Bill being passed in The Northern Territory which, under strict supervision, gave a patient the right to end their life. Rex, wanting a painless exit, jumped in his cab and headed for Darwin.
Cribb first retold the story as a play of the same name in 2003. Sims has been by his side throughout the retelling of Rex's legendary story and so it was inevitable Last Cab would become a feature film. And a very fine feature film it is.
Michael Caton, so revered as the likable, knock about Aussie battler underplays Rex beautifully. From the time we jump in the cab with Rex we have to believe in him and Caton doesn't let us down. Polly and Tilly, so exquisitely played by Ningali Lawford and Mark Coles Smith give insightful observations of real issues in Australian culture. The combined abilities of Lawford and Smith give Rex an ability to think more clearly about his future when most needed.
I'm a sucker for this type of Australian film which depicts our raw environment in such compassionate terms. Sure the narrative is perhaps 10 minutes too long and maybe Jacki Weaver was not the right fit for the Darwin doctor but these are minor quibbles. Last Cab is told with good humour and the right amount of pathos. It's a film for the world to enjoy but the nationalist in me is hoping we of the Australian breed will flock to the screens and luxuriate in a unique story of our own. 9GUMS.
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