This week we take a look at the latest from director Baz Luhrmann. Australia (PG-13) stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman as an unlikely couple running cattle and helping raise a half white-half Aborigine child in late-1930s northern Australia .
Ryan: Baz Luhrmann doesn't make many movies but when he does they arecertainly noteworthy. His films (Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!) are truly unique cinematic experiences although they do alienate some moviegoers. Australia , a historic epic, is much more traditional fare for Luhrmann. Unfortunately the creative elements of his previous works are absent with Australia . Australia is not a bad movie. It's just vastly mediocre.
Andy: The term epic is used frequently to describe movies that are long. In reality, however, epics are supposed to be told in an elevated style, and focus on the adventures of a hero. Australia easily checks the box for being long, but picking one of the characters as the epic hero is not so easy. The film jumps from story to story among the three main characters, not resting on one as the clear hero. As for the elevated style, that is certainly debatable. There is a tone of pretension that accompanies trying to be an epic movie, and that is bound to rub some people the wrong way. I’d say the movie falls somewhere in the slightly above average range.
Ryan: The biggest problem with Australia is that it's too ambitious while not being epic enough. What I mean by that is that Australia is basically three movies in one—the driving of the cattle, the transition to life on the ranch and the Japanese bombing of the town of Darwin . Regrettably these three stories don't transition well from one to another and Luhrmann seems unable to nail down exactly what he wants to do with the narrative as the movie greatly meanders in the second act. Further compounding this complication is the lack of excitement and grandiose when it comes to the resolution of the three conflicts. The movie never lives up to its own extravagance.
Andy: As with most long movies, Australia drags at times. It tells a rather succinct tale involving a cattle run that comes to a fairly natural conclusion around halfway through the movie. Had it ended there, it would have been an entertaining Australian-western. But this movie has loftier goals, and it probably ends up being a lesser film because of it. Had it focused on its cattle-drive narrative while still tackling the issue of the lost generations of half-Aborigine children, it likely would have been a better film.
Ryan: While Australia does have its fair share of issues, it is a decent movie to see on the big screen. Luhrmann does an excellent job shooting the movie and he throws in some nice lavish shots for good measure. The two leads, Kidman and Jackman, perform as well as could be expected with the material that they were given and Luhrmann does a decent job showcasing his stars on the silver screen. I also do like the fact that the movie successfully ties in the Aboriginal culture of Australia . Because any movie that is ambitious enough to call itself Australia has to have an Aboriginal presence.
Andy: The performances in Australia are good, but not great. Jackman and Kidman are both very recognizable and capable stars, but they do not display acting chops that are likely to win any awards this year. Neither of them hinder the film from being enjoyable, but great performances could have elevated this movie to greatness.
Australia has its ups and downs, but ultimately falls short of its ambition.
Ryan: Baz Luhrmann doesn't make many movies but when he does they arecertainly noteworthy. His films (Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!) are truly unique cinematic experiences although they do alienate some moviegoers. Australia , a historic epic, is much more traditional fare for Luhrmann. Unfortunately the creative elements of his previous works are absent with Australia . Australia is not a bad movie. It's just vastly mediocre.
Andy: The term epic is used frequently to describe movies that are long. In reality, however, epics are supposed to be told in an elevated style, and focus on the adventures of a hero. Australia easily checks the box for being long, but picking one of the characters as the epic hero is not so easy. The film jumps from story to story among the three main characters, not resting on one as the clear hero. As for the elevated style, that is certainly debatable. There is a tone of pretension that accompanies trying to be an epic movie, and that is bound to rub some people the wrong way. I’d say the movie falls somewhere in the slightly above average range.
Ryan: The biggest problem with Australia is that it's too ambitious while not being epic enough. What I mean by that is that Australia is basically three movies in one—the driving of the cattle, the transition to life on the ranch and the Japanese bombing of the town of Darwin . Regrettably these three stories don't transition well from one to another and Luhrmann seems unable to nail down exactly what he wants to do with the narrative as the movie greatly meanders in the second act. Further compounding this complication is the lack of excitement and grandiose when it comes to the resolution of the three conflicts. The movie never lives up to its own extravagance.
Andy: As with most long movies, Australia drags at times. It tells a rather succinct tale involving a cattle run that comes to a fairly natural conclusion around halfway through the movie. Had it ended there, it would have been an entertaining Australian-western. But this movie has loftier goals, and it probably ends up being a lesser film because of it. Had it focused on its cattle-drive narrative while still tackling the issue of the lost generations of half-Aborigine children, it likely would have been a better film.
Ryan: While Australia does have its fair share of issues, it is a decent movie to see on the big screen. Luhrmann does an excellent job shooting the movie and he throws in some nice lavish shots for good measure. The two leads, Kidman and Jackman, perform as well as could be expected with the material that they were given and Luhrmann does a decent job showcasing his stars on the silver screen. I also do like the fact that the movie successfully ties in the Aboriginal culture of Australia . Because any movie that is ambitious enough to call itself Australia has to have an Aboriginal presence.
Andy: The performances in Australia are good, but not great. Jackman and Kidman are both very recognizable and capable stars, but they do not display acting chops that are likely to win any awards this year. Neither of them hinder the film from being enjoyable, but great performances could have elevated this movie to greatness.
Australia has its ups and downs, but ultimately falls short of its ambition.
Final grade: B-.
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