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Australia (2008)

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Time Out rating

Average user rating

47 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 2008-12-16 11:45:06

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

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User reviews of this film

lisa said...

Posted on Nov 21 2008 18:41 The only thing I don't like about this movie is this totally long winded and wordy review. Glad this guy didn't write the scrip! Love you Hugh jackman

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Jarren Howard said...

Posted on Nov 20 2008 12:23 i have seen a lot of movies in my 85 years and this ladies and gentleman would have to be the greatest set in spectacular australian northern territory on a cattle station this love/war/western is an amazing representation from australias vast yet amaxing and breathtaking scenery after seeing this movie i have a whole new out look on australia as a country and at this very second me and m wife are pplanning a trip away from the big smoke of new york city to travel australia in and R.V.

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