Hugo Weaving turns in an award-worthy performance as Kev, the troubled father of 10-year-old Chook, on a road trip after yet another violent act sends him on the run. The story hinges on the fractious relationship between the father and son, one in which Chook ? a reasonably average kid ? learns some difficult lessons on his way to adulthood and a devastating decision that is key to basic survival. Visually spare and emotionally loaded, [Last Ride] never unfolds as expected, and the unpredictable development of Kev and Chook’s relationship never feels less than believable. In Kev, director Ivin has creates a character (from Mac Gudgeon’s script and Denise Young′s novel) that is flawed and real, and Weaving masterfully brings him to life and allows us to understand him, if not like him. Ivin’s portrait of the male psyche is elegantly layered; the events that brought Kev to this point are revealed slowly, bringing a tension to Kev and Chook’s dynamic that explodes when Chook must ultimately choose between his father and his conscience.