Displaying items by tag: Charlotte Maggi

THE RUN   

Digital Release, June 17th

Australia, 2025, 107 minutes, Colour.

Callan Mulvey, Charlotte Maggi, Felix Cameron, Taylor Wiese, Tim Phillips, Joe Romeo, Nicholas Hope.

Directed by Stephen de Villiers.

Futuristic drama – except, that it is the near future, setting is 2036, only a decade to go.

This is an Australian drama, filmed in the South Australian countryside. There has been a pandemic, leading to a post-pandemic somewhat apocalyptic atmosphere in the countryside. And, it is noted that there have been practically no births registered in the previous three years. The country towns have been abandoned by the government, not worth the effort and costs to support them. There are some vehicles on the road. And there are many suspicious characters.

In this context, there is a central character, Mac (Callan Mulvey) grieving the death of his daughter, his wife seriously ill. He drives, makes different contacts, meeting up with some strange characters, and it emerging that he is a courier transporting goods to rendezvous points. His bosses have a hold over him, threatening his sick wife, sending images of her to his phone. He is trapped. He seems resigned and has little hope.

We are introduced to a number of drivers, especially three brothers, one in control, one a laughing reckless criminal, the other morose, not speaking.

Then, a surprise character, Aliah, obviously fleeing. But, this becomes a surprise to Mac and to the audience – she has a baby. The three brothers are in pursuit – questions about relationships, but also about exploitation, young women trafficked, producing babies, the trafficking of the babies.

Alia is played, a very strong performance by Charlotte Maggi given the anxiety, care and protection of the baby, his continued crying, as the risk of her being discovered.

She teams up with Mac, chases, dangers, a teenager with a shotgun protecting his property, Tom (Felix Cameron), heightening the tension, seemingly impossible situations to escape from, but some changes of heart, Mac risking his life to save Alia and the baby, and some indications of hope that there are islands off the mainland, ferries to take the refugee to some safety.

Australia and apocalyptic atmosphere, the ugly side of human nature, not without hope.

1. 2036, 10 years into the future, the pandemic, deaths, the effect in society, isolating country towns, the few births registered, the trafficking in women and babies? Couriers for the crime bosses?
2. The Australian countryside, the roads, the voyage, the coast, the sea? The abandoned towns? The old warehouses, stores? The vehicles on the road?
3. The atmosphere, the musical score, the plausibility of the situation?
4. The character of Mac, driving, his vehicle, difficulties, career, the bosses, deadlines, the restrictions of his life, the bosses and their hold over him? The flashbacks to his daughter, happy memories, her death, the toy in the car? No future except the driving?
5. The various drivers, their vehicles, the introduction to the three brothers, the leader, his manner and control, the silent brother, the reckless brother? Their interactions, the issue of the girl, the baby, revelations of the past, the relationship, the birth, the young girls, pregnancies, the trafficking of the girls, the babies?
6. The old man and burning him?
7. Aliah, audience surprise at seeing her with the baby, her care for the baby, the baby continually crying? In the vehicles, getting out, trying to escape, the pursuit, the different trucks, hiding? The encounter with Mac, his being taciturn, her determination?
8. Travelling with Mac, his protection, his advice about how to treat the babies, the breathing, the air, binding their arms? The relationship between the two, developing?
9. Mac, his decisions, to protect the baby, to protect Aliah, the confrontations, the weapons, hiding, the baby in the drawer, the warehouse, the attacks, the brothers, the violence? The fight with the leader, the silent brother, speaking, letting Aliah go?
10. The encounter with Tom, young, on the property, the gun, teaming with Mac, to protect the baby, to rescue Aliah, with the gun, the confrontation with the reckless brother, and his protection?
11. Aliah, sometimes running away, the note, returning, the protection from Mac, the confrontation with the father of the baby, Aliah getting the gun, her shooting him?
12. Mac, wounded, with Tom, taking Aliah and the baby to the wharf, the ship to the island, the future…?