*** Official AUSTRALIA Review Thread (1 Viewer)

[PatW]

Well I saw it Wednesday night. Though it wasn't what I expected, it's refreshing going to see a movie and not knowing what it is about. I loved every minute of it btw. I went with a girlfriend since my husband refused to go but he would have enjoyed it. The romance is just a part of the story but there is so much more here. If you're waivering about going to see this, the performance by the aboriginal boy is enough reason to go in my opinion. Fantastic movie and one I will buy when it comes out.

 

[Jose Martinez]

I agree. Excellent film. Nearly 3 hours but it didn't feel like it. It is a sweeping romantic epic. Jackman and Kidman were just great but it was the little aboriginal boy that will steal your hearts.

One of my favorite movies of 2008.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now the Official Review Thread for "Australia". Please post all HTF member reviews in this thread.

Any other comments, links to other reviews, or discussion items will be deleted from this thread without warning!

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Crawdaddy

 

[Patrick Sun]

Didn't really enjoy the tonal shifts, where the film starts with some strange farce-like comedic introductions of the main cast of characters that goes on a little too long (but I admit to laughing at one spot pretty hard), but about half-way through, the film settles in a more steady dramatic groove that fits the story it was telling. The film touches on racism as it existed in Australia in WWII. Also the film features Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) a woman who rises up (with the help of Drover, played by Hugh Jackman, and others) to the challenge of prospering in the face of treachery. The other main subplot is about remaining true to your roots even if one's heritage is diluted by bloodlines. All of this within the framework of WWII happening, and how Australia played its part in the war efforts.

Overall, it's sort of a messy film, very much a bumpy ride. The voiceover by the little boy, Nullah, who ties many of the themes and plot elements together can be a little too cute at times, and also hard to understand due to the accent. That being said, the child actor playing Nullah is very earnest, and Sarah's love for the child comes across as genuine, which raises the stakes for the final act of the film.

I did not like the David Wenham in the Neil Fletcher role (playing a part of the antagonist side against Sarah), just didn't really have that dramatic spark to elevate the role, though Bryan Brown does well with his part as King Carney (who owned most of the north territory and was cattle tycoon).

There are some nice aerial sweeping shots, but there are also some really obvious scenes shot on sets, with fake-looking backgrounds, not something you expect from a film with a huge budget (over $120 million). The film is over 160 minutes long, and it feels like it, mainly due to the first half that takes forever to find its legs.

Overall, I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

 

[townsend]

I'm on Patrick's side on this one, and he expressed far more elegantly that I could the problems with this movie.

What a mess! What was it trying to be . . . historical period piece, love story, children's fairy tale, etc.?

The stereotypes--city slicker uppercrust English woman and Australian roughneck--were cardboard characters with no depth. I surely didn't see or feel any true emotions between Kidman and Jackman.

The digitized scenery of Australia's outback was cheesy . . . reminded me of Indiana Jones' Crystal Skull scenery in spots . . .

In many ways, parallel to movie Pearl Harbor . . . goofy love story destroys what could have been a serious, dramatic period piece, covering everything from racism, to Australian cattle industry during WW2, and the horrific bombing of Darwin by the Japanese.

The Fletcher character was waaaaaayyyyy over the top. The only redeeming factor were the aborigine actors . . . glad to see Gulpilil returning to the screen.

2 stars at most; C- at best . . . it really is a failure.

 

[Ray H]

Saw this earlier today and quite liked it. It does get a bit schmaltzy at times, but I suppose that was part of Luhrmann's intention - to make a film that hearkened back to the old sweeping epics, employing a heavy does of movie magic. I think it succeeded for the most part. At times, it does seem to be a bit excessive, but I don't think the movie really suffered.

The movie does take some time to really settle, but it's a common characteristic of all of Lurhmann's movies, so it was expected. When it did settle in, I felt it did so quite nicely. The movie developed characters I cared for, even small supporting roles ended up surprisingly touching.

If I do have some criticism, it'd be Luhrmann making the Aboriginals a little too mystical as in the scene where the little boy stops the herd just about dead in its tracks. The moment just took a little too much suspension of disbelief. Another thing was David Wenham's character. While I did feel his motive was explained well enough, the character was just played too villainously. You couldn't really identify with him nor could you ever see why he was so evil. I expected to feel a bit sorrier for him at the end than I actually did.

Also, the film has VERY distinct act breaks as though the movie could be serialized as a miniseries or something charting the rise/fall of the heroes/villains. Seriously, the movie could have ended after the first act and I would have been pretty satisfied with it.

Anyway, I guess I'd go with 3.5/5 stars.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Felt old-school, and in a good way. I agree with some of the criticisms, but the film worked for me very well until the last 45 minutes or so. The cattle drive is spectacular, and I enjoyed the melodramatic beats.

A little tightening would go a long way, but I'll be buying this film. I'll try and expand these thoughts tomorrow. I was hoping for more, but I had high expectations. So this will work for me.

8/10,
Chuck