Mojave review: Oscar Isaac dials his psycho up to ten.
Mojave review by Kat Hughes. Mojave is made up of several talk-heavy scenes between lead character Tom and Jack as they spout quotes from various texts and practitioners. This over reliance on references will leave some viewers alienated and struggling to keep up, though thankfully after the head-scratchingly confusing beginning, events slowly (and I mean slowly) start to fall into place.
There’s every chance that Mojave could have been a film that just disappeared, however the inclusion of a certain Oscar Isaac is sure to mean it will reach a wider audience. After his turn as Poe Dameron in Star Wars: The Force Awakens the world and his dog fell in love with Isaac and he’s developed quite the loyal following. With Mojave they will get a treat as not only is the actor once again on top form, he also spends a portion on the film in pink speedos. His character Jack is a compelling conundrum and Isaac dials his psycho up to ten. He might be the obvious draw, but it’s Wahlberg who steals the show as a gangster turned movie producer.
Hedlund too gives a fine performances and proves that he’s more than capable. Maybe he should stick away from studio films for a while? His character Tom is a strange mixture of depression, entitlement and conflicting morals, and is almost the anti-hero of the piece as opposed to the clear-cut hero. His action along the journey are questionable, especially those within the desert set scenes – which incidentally are cinematographically stunning.
Writer turned director William Monahan offers another side to the Hollywood machine in Mojave. Gone is all the glitz and glamour usually associated with the celebrity haven, replaced with melancholy, boredom and a smattering of shattered dreams. It’s almost Somewhere with serial killers.
Mojave is a cerebral thriller that requires your full attention and potentially a degree in philosophy to fully appreciate and understand.
Mojave review by Kat Hughes, March 2016.
Mojave arrives in select UK cinemas from 25th March 2016 as well as on digital platforms on the same date.
