Mia Wasikowska and Adam Driver are two of the most fascinating young actors working right now, and both have HBO to credit for their success. Wasikowska burst into the spotlight with Alice in Wonderland but had already received rave reviews for her striking turn on In Treatment, as suicidal gymnast Sophie. Meanwhile, Driver is the most electric part of the young adult ensemble on HBO’s Girls. His role as the ill-mannered but intelligent Adam Sackler is a constant, awkward delight.
Shortly, Wasikowska and Driver will be seen on the big screen together in Tracks, and the trailer for John Curran’s autobiographical adventure drama is now online.
The film tells the true story of Robyn Davidson, a woman who decided to walk through 1,700 miles worth of Australian desert to reach the Indian ocean, accompanied by camels and a dog. Wasikowska plays Davidson and Driver is Rick Smolan, a National Geographic photographer who documented this treacherous trip and also fell in love with Davidson.
The trailer is stirring and striking, with a determined Wasikowska showing her sun-baked bare back in the Outback. There is also some gorgeous desert landscapes a la Lawrence of Arabia. Driver looks much cheerier and quite gawky as Smolan in the two-minute trailer, and the actor should provide good comic relief – as should the character’s large spectacles that make him look like Steven Spielberg circa the early 1970s.
Screenwriter Marion Nelson adapted the film from Davidson’s memoir of her cross-country experience. There have actually been several attempts to turn Davidson’s story into a feature film, and one of these projects had Julia Roberts touted for the starring role, not long after her star-making turn in Pretty Woman.
Tracks debuted at the Toronto, Venice and Telluride film festivals to much acclaim this fall. Although there is no current North American release date, it is out in the UK on April 25, 2014.
