Movie Review: Australia

[qos]

I really wanted to like this movie, which was directed by Baz Luhrman and stars Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, and David Wenham -- all actors I enjoy watching. Unfortunately, while it was a servicable "epic" it fell far short of my expectations -- particularly of Luhrman, the man responsible for Moulin Rouge.

One of the worst things that can be said about any movie is that there are no surprises in it, and that was certainly the case with Australia. The characters are stock types: the Heroine, the brittle, sheltered noblewoman who comes fully alive when faced with the challenges of the wilderness and the company of the Hero; the aforementioned Hero, a rough-neck brawler with a heart of gold, who alone in his society is colorblind where the Aboriginals are concerned; the Hired Man engaged to the boss's daughter, not to be trusted under any circumstances; the Robber Cattle Baron (who lacked only a black moustache to twirl, so one-dimensional was his characterization); the beautiful Native Child who turns the brittle spinster into a mother; and the Witch Doctor/Medicine Man whose near-silent presence throughout the film also functions as a deus ex machina when needed.

The first challenge for Our Heroes is to get the Heroine's late husband's cattle to market, despite the nefarious plans of the Robber Cattle Baron and The Untrustworthy Hired man. Of course there's a stampede. Of course there are wide deserts to cross without water. But is the outcome ever really in doubt?

If it weren't so predictable, if there had been just a few moments to make me gasp or laugh in surprise, it might have been a truly enjoyable movie -- but it was a paint-by-numbers affair. Kidman has turned in some lovely and sharp performances, but she strikes me as being very much an actress who needs a skilled director to get the best from her. Luhrman got a great performance out of her in Moulin Rouge, but let her down here. She showed very little range beyond pouting, looking determined, and looking misty-eyed with love, and her male co-stars coasted comfortably along in their one-dimensional roles.

Only the boy who plays the half-caste child had any real sparkle, but a three-hour epic was too much for him to elevate by himself.

Comments

[stucco33.livejournal.com]

Of course I am biased to cheer for my new home, but I loved the movie. Most big sweeping epics of yesteryear are similarly devoid of surprise, I would think, so I judge it by simple feel-goodness and how often I sigh with contentment to see something pretty, or cute, or moving. Of course I may have been in an especially accommodating frame of mind as I was cuddled up between my two favourite women in the world. :) The audience generally seemed moved. The young ladies sitting behind us gushed whenever Jackman appeared looking sexy, which was pretty much always. I mean *literally* gushed, I think, from the sounds of ecstasy they made; I reckon they left behind wet seat cushions along with their popcorn cartons. I also appreciated seeing the bombing of Darwin, which was a huge event here but little known elsewhere.

Do you come here often. . . .???

[qos.livejournal.com]

So this is what I need to do to lure you out --- write about Australia! ;-)

I'm not surprised it made a difference to watch the movie in Australia.

Hugh Jackman is okay, but he doesn't do all that much for me. If Luhrman had cast Russell Crowe I might have had a stronger reaction.

Re: Do you come here often. . . .???

[stucco33.livejournal.com]

Heh, it is mostly coincidence. When you posted about my Very Special Shutdown Notice (http://www.podtycoon.com/shutdown) I got a Google Alert about it. I then discovered that finally LJ offered an option to send email when a new post was made, so I signed up. Then the post about the movie lured me out. :)

Re: Do you come here often. . . .???

[qos.livejournal.com]

Ah. . . I really like the notification by emails feature.

Hope to see you around more often!

Re: Do you come here often. . . .???

[qos.livejournal.com]

You might want to come back and scroll back a few entries. I'd figured you were gone from LJ, so I'd taken you off my friends list. There have been some locked/filtered entries recently that might be of interest. . .

[rebeccax.livejournal.com]

I'm with you. I thought it was stiff and worst of all, white people were depicted as the heroes of a civil rights issue. What-fuckin-ever.

[amqu.livejournal.com]

I DO think Hugh Jackman is madly desirable. I generally like Nicole Kidman, and I really liked Luhrman's Moulin Rouge when I didn't expect to. However, even with all that going for it, the trailers simply didn't overcome my inertia of disinterest. It seemed flat and tired in the trailers.