What Are Some Of Your Favorite Australian Films?

[petersj]

I agree with you. A remarkable film but unjustly treated by critics. It was a case of tall poppy and everyone is out to condemn Nicole and Buzz L.

[petersj]

I wrote a review of Australia some time back.

This will not please some people but I loved Bazz Lurman's "Australia". I will go further and say it was a brave movie and for the most part, very successful. Brave because it was a movie unlike most modern movies. It is perhaps a cliché but it was the kind of movie they do not make any more. Epics and sagas have all but disappeared but there is an audience crying out for old fashioned entertainment. It was easy on the eye. The scenery is magnificent and Nicole looks lovely. Hugh is the best eye candy in cinema today and the much discussed showering down over his macho torso is so dam hot that if you are not turned on by it you are sexually dead. It was brave also because it tackled the very tricky era of the stolen generation. In a time where one has to be so carefully politically correct I believe the issue was handled with great integrity and a lot of heart. The portrayal of the indigenous characters was respectful and dignified. I know Germaine Greer attacked the way some of the indigenous characters spoke but she is wrong and if she has ever travelled into the outback she would accept that it was not inaccurate. She is certainly off target with this one. Most directors would leave a tricky issue like this alone but Baz has tackled it with great style. Brave also because it is (arguably) the first time the bombing of Darwin has ever been given a mention in film. This was a much more significant event than many realise and I found it very powerful. The cinematography at times is magnificent. The beauty of the landscape is visually splendid. Brandon Wallis as Nulla, the half caste aboriginal boy is a real scene stealer. He dominates the film and the camera loves him. The great David Gulpilil is simply majestic and gives a perfect, memorable performance. Nicole Kidman has an incredibly difficult role as the aristocrat Lady Sarah and for the most part she handles it beautifully. She is not afraid to even camp it a bit at times and is often deliciously over the top. It's a very good performance although not a great one. There are some moments where she misses the mark but other moments are simply perfect. The scene where she stands up to genocidal Dr Barker, played by Bruce Spence is powerful. The reactions of the social set against her outburst are certainly accurate. The goal behind the stolen generation was to wipe out the race. It was considered the right and proper thing to do by many back then but the process certainly had its critics as well. The growing affection between Sarah and the boy is beautifully executed and Bazz tugs at the heart strings and manipulates you with pure sentimentality. Unlike many film makers Lurman is not scared of sentimentality. He is aware of his critics but he knows there are many of us who long for it and he unashamedly dishes it out to us in generous portions. I loved the moment Sarah tells the story of the Wizard of Oz and sings Over the Rainbow to the little boy. The eyes of the child light up the screen and your heart (if you have one). The chemistry between Kidman and Hugh is not as powerful as I would like it to be but having said that there are moments that are simply exquisite. In pure Hollywood style Lurman has moments where he celebrates the films of old with reverence. Its also dam cheeky in this cynical age and I adore him for it. One scene is a perfect example pf Bazz shunning the cynics. At a hugely stuffy party Sarah dances with the villain of the movie played by the ever reliable Bryan Brown. The drover is not there but in pure Hollywood style there he is. He stands at the top of the stairs. He is dressed in white. Everyone swoons. And Bazz has manipulated us once again. Cheeky bugger! Hugh Jackman is charming as drover. He does not do much but he doesn't have too. He is sex on a stick and the ladies (and many guys) swoon as much now as we did when we saw the dashing Aussie as Curly in his unforgettable Oklahoma. Even if the movie disappears into oblivion, the sexy soapy wet scene will live on for ever. They say that every good story needs a villain and Bazz gives us a couple of real cads in "Australia". David Wenham as Fletcher and the great Bryan Brown as King Carney look as though they love every minute of playing the nasties. This is pure Luhrmann, a real homage to the bad guys of Hollywood westerns. It is stereotypical and great fun! Bazz even has the gall to have King gobbled up by a crocodile. Our Bazz is deliciously cheeky. Once again you end up hating the bad guys. Its pretty two dimensional and that's clearly the intention. You are thrilled when they get what they deserve. Its pretty clever how these two move the story along, it should not work but it does. That poor croc probably got indigestion. David Wenham is very good in these roles! The movie is a rollicking good adventure story and a love story. Luhrmann is not only the cheekiest director in movies today he is also downright naughty. He loves old Hollywood and celebtrates it, he is not afraid of corn and he also loves pure fantasy. He is not afraid of contrivances. These can be negative but in the brilliant hands of Bazz its magic. We now use the phrase "that's pure Luhrmann".

[glen]

Yeah I liked the Australia film too. My only complaint was it was a bit long!

[stevedavis]

I really Found 2 Hand a great Australian movie!!!!!!!!