“Animal lovers, especially female ones, are often accused of being neurotic and unable to relate to other human beings. More often than not, those pointing the finger have never had a pet. It seems to me the universe gave us three things to make life bearable: hope, jokes, and dogs. But the greatest of these gifts was dogs.”

Directed by: John Curran

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Adam Driver

Synopsis: Reclusive adventurer Robyn Davidson (Mia Wasikowska) sets off on a near-impossible trek across the Australian Outback, with four camels, her adorable dog Diggity and National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan (Adam Driver) in tow.

Low on thrills and spills, high on heart and soul, Robyn Davidson’s tale is at times difficult to fathom, yet nonetheless uplifting in its execution. Whilst a methodical pace stops the film from ever truly getting into top gear, Wasikowska ensures that Davidson’s humanity shines through – she might not be a fan of other human beings, but I’m sure that you’d be hard pushed to find a person not rooting for her over the course of her “based on true events” journey.

Adam Driver brings his trademark unique charm to the film, but he’s outshone by Wasikowska in every respect, and rightly so. It’s Davidson’s story, and it’s when we see her connection to nature, culture and the gloriously shot great outdoors that Tracks hits its stride. Just as Davidson faces large spells of quiet consideration as she traverses the desert, so do we, though whilst her trek is punctuated by moments of wonder and amazement, ours is punctuated by moments of gut-wrenching emotion.

Rating (out of 5):