Genre: Epic Romance, Wartime DramaDirector: Baz Luhrmann
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, David Wenham, Brandon Walters
Running Time: 166 minutes (plus trailers)
I know that by doing so I may as well cut my balls off here and now, but I am going to confess something. I like Titanic. Sure, the romance was unbelievable, and the acting a little over the top, but it was still a really enjoyable film; the story was good, the film making was excellent, and although many people forget it, the second half actually had some pretty exciting action too. Titanic is a heart warming tale that will leave you feeling good about humanity when the end credits role.
But some of you may be asking, Tom, why the hell are you talking about Titanic? I thought this was a review of Australia. The reason is because of all the movies I have seen (and believe me, there’s quite a few) Baz Luhrmanns Australia reminds me most of Titanic. If you liked Titanic, odds are you’ll like Australia…if you didn’t, you won’t. Both films have that epic feel, with spectacular sweeping overhead shots, class branching romance and enough sentimentality to drown a fairy (did I just coin a phrase?) These are the positives. Unfortunately, Australia also suffers from the same problems that Titanic did, including major thematic changes that make the movie feel uneven, one dimensional villains and a million and one clichés. They are both also about an hour too long. Australia actually feels like two completely different films stitched together. The first is a light hearted road trip movie, in which Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman, who looks vampirically pale), an uptight British women, has to lead a herd of cattle across miles of harsh outback desert with the help of a rag tag team of Aussies including half caste Aboriginal boy Nullah (newcomer Brandon Walters) and the rough uncouth but- actually-tender-on-the-inside Drover (Hugh Jackman.) Along the way, they face unforgiving weather, heartless baddies and budding romance. This half of the film I found to be the better of the two; it was dramatic, but also amusing enough to keep you interested. The second half of the film is far darker and more depressing. Set a few years later during the bombing of Darwin, Lady Ashley and the Drover have been separated by war, and Nullah, their now adopted child, has been taken away by missionaries to be indoctrinated into white culture. This half is also good, but after the fun of the earlier scenes, the shift was distracting. The film doesn’t seem to be able to decide what genre it wants to occupy.
Baz Luhrmann’s previous films are Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge, so by comparison, the direction in Australia is subdued, with far less flash. He certainly romanticises all aspects of Australian culture, from the outback to the Aborigines, and Australian viewers will almost certainly find themselves rolling their eyes at the never ending cascade of clichés. Despite this, Luhrmann, a native Aussie, clearly feels great affinity for this country, and it is good to see that translated onto film. The acting, from two of the biggest Australians actors in Hollywood is good, although again, it is nothing that we haven’t seen before. The big surprise is Brendan Walters as Nullah. The eleven year old boy had never acted before, but he manages to steal the show from both Kidman and Jackman, which is no easy task. David Wenham, on the other hand, plays one of the blandest villains I have ever seen (although I think this is more the fault of the script than the actor.)
Final words? The movie is not original. If you go in feeling cynical, expecting another hollywoodised fairytale version of our country, then you will not like this film. You have to be in a good mood, ready to suspend disbelief and embrace the clichés. If you do this, then you should have a good time. I would however say that there is no point in watching the movie on DVD. You need an enormous screen and loud speakers to fully appreciate the panoramic beauty of this film, and this country.
Rating: 7/10
