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Australia (2008)

Time Out rating

Average user rating

52 reviews

Synopsis

Baz Luhrmann attempts to deliver Australia's answer to Gone with the Wind, a sweeping romance set in the years leading up to World War II.

Movie review

From Time Out London

Hoity-toity Englishwoman Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) doesn’t believe for a moment that her husband is in Australia selling his cattle station; he’s off shagging Sheilas, she reckons, so even though it’s 1939 and she’s far too genteel to go bucketing around the world alone, she crosses the globe to bring him home – more out of irritation than any obvious romantic impulse.
She doesn’t find him – or not alive, anyway. But she does discover a vast land full of kangaroos, magical half-Aboriginal children and empire-building cattle barons. Oh, and there’s some bloke called The Drover (Hugh Jackman) who thinks she’s a nuisance but agrees to herd her cattle across the Northern Territory anyway, with a motley crew including a drunken accountant and Lady Sarah herself.

It’s a fine romp, epic in both ambition and visuals if not narrative – and if director Baz Luhrmann had stopped at the end of the love story’s trajectory, the audience would have left entirely happy. But he carries on, into war, the Japanese bombing of Darwin and other, less credible villainy, and it becomes clear that beneath his camp sensibility beats a conscientious heart, keen to bring the plight of the Stolen Generations – Aboriginals parted from their families – to a wider audience. It’s a laudable aim, but exploring the issue here is as ludicrous as expecting viewers of ‘Gone with the Wind’ to worry about slavery. View this as Outback candyfloss and you’ll have a grand time – it’s terribly entertaining f too long, and its release date is perfect since it’s as camp as Christmas. But ‘Rabbit-Proof Fence’ it ain’t. (Nina Caplan)

Author: Nina Caplan

Time Out London Issue 2000/2001, Dec 18-31, 2008\

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User reviews of this film

mohamed said...

Posted on May 29 2012 09:44 full of shit an cheeky sex scenes if it had a hot girl it would be better

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chris said...

Posted on May 29 2012 09:28 alright movie but too long

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Rozzle said...

Posted on Oct 07 2011 23:52 This film was full of cheeky Bull-SHIT

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ray said...

Posted on Jul 30 2011 22:07 Trite, over long, better to have finished an hour before, but really an insult to the title. lovely scenery as the country deserves, but crap storyline and execution does not do credit to the Australian spirit in spite of major efforts from the players.

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John Cooper said...

Posted on Jan 16 2010 14:52 This film has its faults in terms of narrative and structure,
but you can not take away the performances of Hugh
Jackman and Nicole Kidman which, together with the impressive cinematography of the Australian Outback, earn this film a three- star rating at least. Nicole Kidman does a wonderful job in rescuing the film from
an overlay of sentiment, and provides much needed psychological realism amongst some paper thin caricatures. Worth seeing, but , with too many script-writers this film loses its way at times, and is only saved
by the production values and the sensitive performances
of two leads.

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jane said...

Posted on Mar 15 2009 23:51 utter crap - cardboard cutout of characters and rubbish storyline. It does a disservice to the country bearing its name.

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gemma said...

Posted on Feb 11 2009 16:57 I watched this film a few months ago and to be honest, i found it really boring and depressing!! As far as i'm concerned there are far better film's out there than this one! Spend your money on another film i say!!

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Maria said...

Posted on Feb 05 2009 14:23 This film was the best I have seen for ages. It had everything I like in a film, great actors, magnificent scenery, suspense, action and romance. Little Nullah was brilliant and the way the whole film was put together was riveting. How anyone can say it was rubbish is beyind me. Films should be entertaining and it was as well as thought provoking. All in all an excellent visit to the cinema.

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Harun said...

Posted on Feb 01 2009 15:28 the little boy Brandon stolen the heart of Australia. it was extra ordinary talent's, the star of the film little ...Nullah.

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alex dowden said...

Posted on Jan 30 2009 15:40 It had its moments,the best of which was when the credits started rolling.

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rifka said...

Posted on Jan 26 2009 14:35 This film was so good it made me cry:) I think people are a bit too pessimistic about films. As i still maintain i reckon that people who moan about films like this are just jelous of something, could be the fact that they have boring jobs and arent millionaire directors, or actors or anything interesting at all:) I loved the film, i love Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and the little boy was adorable and a great actor for some one so young. The scenes were compelling, a mixture of emotions created all in one film:)

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alex said...

Posted on Jan 24 2009 11:35 I really enjoyed it and it definately represented value for money. It is not too long!

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steve said...

Posted on Jan 22 2009 18:56 worst film i've seen in the last 10 yrs, if i hadn't had my mother with me i'd have walked out

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Trish said...

Posted on Jan 22 2009 13:10 I went to see this film with an open mind, and was pleasently surprised! This film had all you want to entertain you in a film, the cgi was good, the story was easy to follow, the acting was good(especially by the little boy), comedy, and suspense, and of course hugh jackmans lovely body on show! Will be buying the dvd when it comes out.

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Helen said...

Posted on Jan 20 2009 11:52 Fantastic film - really enjoyed it! Very moving storyline. Hugh Jackman is gorgeous - and what a body! Brandon Walters who plays the little boy is a fantastic actor - very impressed

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