Movielogr
Australia (2008)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
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Overview
Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin by Japanese forces firsthand.
Rated PG-13 | Length 165 minutes
Actors
Nicole Kidman | Hugh Jackman | Essie Davis | David Wenham | Bryan Brown | David Gulpilil | John Jarratt | Shea Adams | Nathin Butler | John Walton | Nigel Harbach | Eddie Baroo | Arthur Dignam | Sandy Gore | Bill Hunter | Jacek Koman | Ben Mendelsohn | Barry Otto | David Ngoombujarra | Bruce Spence | Jack Thompson | Yuen Wah | Kerry Walker | Ray Barrett | Jamal Sydney Bednarz | Tony Barry | Ursula Yovich | Brandon Walters | Matthew Whittet | Lillian Crombie | Max Cullen | Haidee Gaudry | Jamie Gulpilil | Peter Gwynne | Jimmy Hong | Angus Pilakui | Adam McMonigal | Robin Queree | Mark Rathbone | Crusoe Kurddal | Siena Larsson | Danielle Carey | Anton Monsted | William Gabriel | Chris Polzot
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/06/2011 | TV | DVD | Owned | 3.5 stars |
| (Average) 3.5 stars |
Viewing Notes
AUSTRALIA is the tale of two movies, and that’s its weakness.
In both movies, director Baz Luhrman crafts beautiful, sweeping scenes, both of the Australian vistas and wartime tragedy; I’ve always admired Luhrman’s eye and his tribute to the titular country shines through, but it’s not enough to pull together a film divided unto itself.
The first, stronger half of AUSTRALIA is a quirky, comedic Australian cattle roping adventure with shades of Luhrman’s past films, and the second is a melodramatic wartime romance. Were either half the movie it would’ve been more enjoyable. But, because the two halves have vastly different identities and tones, the movie feels unsettled and a bit lost, though it tries to thread the two together through Nala. The best movie would’ve been the first half with the film fleshed out to encompass more of Nala’s civil rights story with dramatically less to no focus on World War II.
Had Luhrman transitioned from quirky to tragic and back to quirky (or even kept a consistent tone), Luhrman’s grand vision would be more complete. Instead we’re left with a likeable epic that is weaker than it should’ve been.
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