The film Australia was released on DVD and Blu Ray on March 3, 2009. I want to devote some time to a picture that I think is one of the Best of 2008.
Australia ****
I am a big Baz Lahrmann fan. I think the three films in his “Red Curtain Trilogy” (Strictly Ballroom, Romeo+Juliet, and Moulin Rouge) are brilliant cinematic achievements. I was a little bit skeptical of Australia because it got mediocre reviews. But from the preview my gut feeling was that I was going to love the film, because it looked like it had the great production values including Art Direction, Costume Design, and Cinematography that I expect from a Baz film. The film did not disappoint me. As usual Baz uses every element to create an epic.
The story weaves together a high plains western with a cattle drive, a romance with its two leads, a family drama, and a World War II plot. Baz weaves all these stories together using the magic of the Aboriginal tribes and land. He uses the camera to sweep around every angle of the beautiful Australian landscape and thru this establishes the magical lure of the land.
Nicole Kidman is perfect as Lady Sarah Ashley. The character is not the completely fish out of water helpless female, and Kidman shows with conviction early on (by kicking an abusive ranch hand off her property) that she can hold her own in a world ruled by men. She is part Vivian Leigh in Gone with the Wind and part Mercedes McCambridge in Giant. Hugh Jackman as Drover adds nothing new to the macho ranch hand with the heart of gold but he does play the part well. Kidman and Jackman play the passionate attraction that both characters have for one another perfectly. Kidman also very convincingly becomes the nurturing mother figure to a half Aboriginal boy in the film.
I think Australia is a throw back to films such as Giant, Gone with the Wind, From Here to Eternity, and it even made me want to watch westerns such as Lonesome Dove again. It is a film that sucks the viewer in with great production values, interesting story, and developed characters. I don’t know why this picture was not nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. It is the type of epic filmmaking that the Academy usually loves. It could have had Best Picture slot of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, or The Reader in my opinion. I would have given it Oscar Nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, and Costume Design. Nicole Kidman would still fall just short of a nomination. Of the nominees I don’t know who I would take out to give her a nomination.
Australia will definitely go into my Top 10 list for 2008. And I still have a few more films of 2008 to see before I finalize my Top 10 List.
Australia ****
I am a big Baz Lahrmann fan. I think the three films in his “Red Curtain Trilogy” (Strictly Ballroom, Romeo+Juliet, and Moulin Rouge) are brilliant cinematic achievements. I was a little bit skeptical of Australia because it got mediocre reviews. But from the preview my gut feeling was that I was going to love the film, because it looked like it had the great production values including Art Direction, Costume Design, and Cinematography that I expect from a Baz film. The film did not disappoint me. As usual Baz uses every element to create an epic.
The story weaves together a high plains western with a cattle drive, a romance with its two leads, a family drama, and a World War II plot. Baz weaves all these stories together using the magic of the Aboriginal tribes and land. He uses the camera to sweep around every angle of the beautiful Australian landscape and thru this establishes the magical lure of the land.
Nicole Kidman is perfect as Lady Sarah Ashley. The character is not the completely fish out of water helpless female, and Kidman shows with conviction early on (by kicking an abusive ranch hand off her property) that she can hold her own in a world ruled by men. She is part Vivian Leigh in Gone with the Wind and part Mercedes McCambridge in Giant. Hugh Jackman as Drover adds nothing new to the macho ranch hand with the heart of gold but he does play the part well. Kidman and Jackman play the passionate attraction that both characters have for one another perfectly. Kidman also very convincingly becomes the nurturing mother figure to a half Aboriginal boy in the film.
I think Australia is a throw back to films such as Giant, Gone with the Wind, From Here to Eternity, and it even made me want to watch westerns such as Lonesome Dove again. It is a film that sucks the viewer in with great production values, interesting story, and developed characters. I don’t know why this picture was not nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. It is the type of epic filmmaking that the Academy usually loves. It could have had Best Picture slot of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, or The Reader in my opinion. I would have given it Oscar Nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, and Costume Design. Nicole Kidman would still fall just short of a nomination. Of the nominees I don’t know who I would take out to give her a nomination.
Australia will definitely go into my Top 10 list for 2008. And I still have a few more films of 2008 to see before I finalize my Top 10 List.
I didn't quite enjoy Australia as much as you, Sean, but I did feel it was a very well done epic and attempt at bringing back some of the older stylized films of the genre.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very beautiful film, and has, hands down the best cinemtaography and art direction of the year, and Lurhman manages to pull out all of the technical strings as well as a plethera of entertaining moments. But I felt the moments added up as a whole didn't quite add up to a completely great film. The film felt like three movies balled up into one and didn't really know which one it wanted to be. I, personally, enjoyed the middle section the best, and felt the first segment was a bit too goofy and the last segment was a bit too neverending. I still really enjoyed the film, though, and agree, it is very underrated. I would rather see something fresh and not extremely well-put together than something well made and bland any day.
*** 1/2 out of **** is my rating
The above post is by William Moon
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