Revisiting a story the has been told many times before, Galveston builds the journey on the chemistry of its two lead actors, Ben Foster and Elle Fanning. She is the product of a terrible upbringing and he is a hitman running out of time. Together by chance, they hit the road on a journey that will change their lives forever.
At first, mistrust falls on both sides but Roy (Foster) still has traces of his humanity left and he sees some form of redemption in protecting Rocky (Fanning). The two become a trio when Rocky helps her younger sister escape the squalid home that were both raised in.
The criminality in the film is never glamorised. These deplorable acts are presented as ugly, raw and senseless. The effect of stripping the perpetrators of their humanity is never shied away from. There is an underlying sadness however that remains throughout.
Foster and Fanning are at first seen as fairly predictable characters but reveal more and more nuance as the story unfolds. This transition is where most of the interest in the film lies. There are few surprises along the way and a bittersweet ending but it’s a journey worth taking.
Rob Huson
www.iconmovies.com.au
