Australia Review
by Homer Yen (homeryen88 AT gmail DOT com)December 1st, 2008
"Australia" - As Vast as the Outback
by Homer Yen
(c) 2008
For those of you that do watch the film, the consensus will be mixed. And I'll certainly offer my thoughts in just a few moments. But one thing that we can all agree upon is that "Australia" is certainly one of the best looking films that you'll see this year. It has high production values. It features breathtaking beauty. It has some great special effects. And, Hugh Jackman is a cowboy's cowboy while Nicole Kidman triumphantly exonerates herself from last year's "Golden Compass" debacle.
Let's start with our two stars. The Sexiest Man Alive (Jackman, as noted in a recent poll) plays a cattle herder named Drover. And he gets a few select scenes to show how sexy and romantic and manly he is. Drover's whole life revolves around the cattle drive. He makes good money when doing it, and he's very good at what he does. He enjoys the freedom that comes with freelancing. He relishes the open sky. He's as free and as unbridled as the wild horses that roam the countryside. Opposite him is the English aristocrat Lady Ashley (Kidman). She comes to Australia to oversee a family-owned cattle station that has fallen into disarray. She is clearly out of her element, looking little like a sturdy business head and more like a competitor in a steeplechase. The enormous difference across class lines, coupled with the scope of the film, is the DNA of any great old-fashioned melodrama. Add in the prismatic skyline, the expansive beauty of the open territory, imminent war, and the feel of 'what-an-amazing-period-that-must-have-been', and it's hard to go wrong.
And, for the first half, it's nearly flawless as the Aristocrat and the Cowboy join forces. The military is willing to purchase her livestock. The profits can in turn be reinvested back into her business so that they may once again prosper. They need to avoid a competing cattle baron that wants to ruin Lady Ashley. Yes, this is prime stuff. The film is punctuated by a desperate attempt to herd 1500 head of cattle across hundreds of miles of the country's most unforgiving land. On their journey, they contend with unexplained spiritual forces, evil-doing henchman, and even the death of loved ones. On such a long and dangerous trek, both cattle and human life will be lost.
There is definitely a sense of triumph at the conclusion of this first act. And we can credit Lady Ashley for that as she grows up to meet the demands of the situation. In the second act, with war at Australia's footsteps, different challenges present themselves. There is the fate of a half-white/half-Aborigines boy. There is the test of love and devotion. There is the ongoing feud between Lady Ashley and the cattle barons. Yet, whereas it was Lady Ashley that had to grow up in Act 1, it is Drover that must grow up to meet the demands of his situation in Act 2. Call me biased, but I liked Drover better as the hard-driving, punishment-dealing, free-spirited cattle herder much better than the wartime romantic. His persona dulls. His wild-horse character becomes tame.
I'll just leave it at that. The film's epic scope is as vast as the Australian Outback. But, it eventually becomes as long as her shoreline. Like the stock market, there'll be euphoria and there'll be disappointment. As a romance epic set against the backdrop of war, it's not quite as engrossing as "Atonement". Yet, because it is such a beautifully made film and the chemistry between the two leading actors certainly come through, I can honestly say:
"what-an-amazing-period-that-must-have-been!"
Grade: B
S: 1 out of 3
L: 2 out of 3
V: 2.5 out of 3
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
