I've been too excited to watch this movie since last year. I'm a fangirl of Mia Wasikowska so that's where it all started. Tracks reminded me a lot of Sean Penn's adaptation of "Into the Wild", which is also a favorite of mine. Just like that film I love it when movies has something to do with travel because it allows me to discover new places. This time around it's the Australian outback, the hidden gem of the country, that takes a backseat to their famous barrier reefs and Koalas. Everything is picturesque even without the camera enhancement. Beautifully shot by Mandy Walker, she pulls us from our seats and let us absorb the experience of Davidson's journey by simply capturing the best angles and showing us the true colors of the desert. The makeup artistry on Wasikowska is superb as it takes the movie into another level. Her dried hair, parched lips and sunburn skin gave us that realistic but painful feeling of "being there" on the desert. One of the things I also love about this movie is how John Curran made it very simple, starkly moving and honest compared to all the other biopics out there. Exaggerated scenes causes the real dilemma in non-fictional movies because it makes you think twice if things like that did occur in real life, but there were no moments that overly dramatizes the plot or the character's experiences. Viewers are not forced to see a psychoanalization of Davidson's persona. We accept and like her for what she is - her steadfast courage, adaptable nature, including her weaknesses - without further inquistion. This is Wasikowska's best performance to date - regardless of her resemblance to Davidson. Wasikowska is no longer the tight-lipped shy girl trying to come-of age in a fantasy drama, in here she brings a bravado and grit to the character as she peels out the layers of monotony that Davidson strives to break away from.
P.S. After watching this movie I now love black labrador's. We have lots of dogs but I want to have a trained one where I can embraced him, like a stuff toy, while I'm sleeping on my bed.
