A dark and brooding Aussie drama with flashes of humour

Dan (Phoenix Raei) is a small-town policeman in rural Victoria who doesn't say much and seems to lead a solitary, if not lonely, life.

When Dan's childhood friend Steve (Rhys Mitchell) is found dead and half-buried in a shallow grave, his mission to find out what happened is personal as well as professional.

Dan last saw his disturbed and damaged friend sitting stark naked in the coop where Dan keeps his chooks (who seem remarkably aggressive each morning when he comes out to feed them).

During his search for answers, Dan happens upon a cabin in the forest. It's inhabited by a hermit (Hugo Weaving with wild hair and beard) who, in the grand tradition of such men, is hirsute, suspicious and ornery.

But Mit (as the hermit later says his name is - get it?) seems to have been the last person to see Steve alive and Dan persists in trying to break down the barriers between them. A present of liquor helps, as do many games of table tennis (Mit has set things up so he can play alone, squash style), but the developing relationship is fractious and fragile.

There's always something that comes up to set Mit off again, including the discovery that Dan is not only a cop but the son of the cop who, Mit claims, owes him money.

Getting information out of him about Steve is a laborious process and other issues - on both sides - inevitably arise. Much of the film is just the two characters. Raei and Weaving work well with each other, vividly conveying the ups and downs of the relationship between the very different Dan and Mit.

Actor Mark Leonard Winter (Elvis) makes his impressive debut as a writer and director here. Like many an actor going behind the camera, Winter focuses largely on the performances, but there's lots more to appreciate.

Craig Bearden's atmospheric cinematography and the music, comprising an original score by Stefan Gregory and well-chosen classical and opera excerpts, add to the effect.

The shortcomings lie in some of the script.

A lot of time is spent on the ups and downs of Dan and Mit's relationship. It's believably done but perhaps could have been shortened just a bit.

Occasionally there's a strange ellipsis - Dan is told in no uncertain terms by Mit to leave. When he returns with a bottle as a peace offering, we see him outside the cabin, then the two of them drinking, but not what happened in between to achieve this. And although we don't need everything spelled out, knowing more about Dan's life and his place in the town would have served to flesh out his taciturn and withdrawn character.

There are occasional flashes of humour but they are mere flashes in the darkness.

The Rooster won't be for everyone - it's dark and brooding - but it's a considerable achievement.