Australia (2008)

klondike

Re: Austraila

Post by klondike »

MichiganJ wrote: I recently got back from Australia (the country) and was interested in what this was about. :)
Well, shucks, welcome back, Mich! This community's always the richer for a returning son or daughter!
Thanks for all the "Jackson Kong" input, but now I'm hankering to hear about your impressions of The Great Never-Never.
Bet I wouldn't be your only rapt reader were you to author a thread about your jaunt to the Land Down Under? Do the women glow & men thunder?
Not a terribly subtle hint, huh?
Ollie
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Re: Austraila

Post by Ollie »

RudyFan starts off with a complaint about "suspension of belief" and I understand that comment from AUSTRALIA. I don't know why I use this complaint almost standardly against modern films, but I can watch some schlocky '50s or '30s film and never ONCE consider that as a source of weakness - in fact, "suspending belief" seems to be a huge factor in enjoying some of those films. Why do I complain about modern films 'requiring' suspension of belief?

Onto the modern King Kong, I really enjoyed the opening hour-long background filling tale of all the people. But this is REALLY dreadful to sit thru and watch again and again. I just can't. The dinosaur-over-the-cliff scene, the various chases in canyons - this was so awful "requiring too much suspension of REASON".

But the main offense, to me, is that stupid ice-skidding scene. Ice-skidding was one of the first 'video game effects' that Atari championed in 1978, yet this is the effect that Jackson uses 30 years later?!! Gag... it's just offensive to me. He made a film that, in parts, made me appreciate the Dino DeLaurentiis 1976 version - and THAT is a sin in itself, Mr. Jackson.

Not that the 1976 film is terrible - but Jackson's version had two choices to use: remake the original and pretend to do it "properly", or re-tell a story with a modern update. Now we get both options, and the original still stands as The Significant Version Of All.
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mrsl
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Re: Austraila

Post by mrsl »

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I rarely disagree with Mr. Klondike regarding movies, but in the case of Australia, I must. Three hours of NIcole Kidman is just too much to subject myself to, but three hours of Hugh Jackman - that's another story, give me 4 or 5. The stories themselves were good, I use plural, because there are several stories all together in one movie. The love affair between Jackman and Kidman was done well, as was the one done between Kidman and the little boy (what a doll he is!). The cattle drive looked authentic, and the rescue of the boys from the Japanese was exciting. The problem came in connecting the different stories. A better job of editting was in store. Much of the unnecessary 3 hours is included in the in-between time. The movie could easily have been editted down to 2 hours, or give or take an extra 1/4 hour, because we didn't see the rolling hills of Australia, nor the teeming desert, we saw weird hand drawn maps, which gave no indication of what was happening until halfway through the next scenario.

If you never saw it in the theater; it's on HBO this month, and worth catching, but plan on a loooonnnnggg time to devote to it. Better yet, tape it and watch that so you can stop and start at your leisure.
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Anne


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Lzcutter
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Re: Austraila

Post by Lzcutter »

Why, oh why, did this movie tank at the box office?

Mr. Cutter and I just watched it in HD and we were blown away. It's an incredible homage to western films, romantic films and war films. A through line can be drawn from They Were Expendable to Red River to Shane to Sergio Leone to George Miller's Mad Max character.

Nulla, the young Aborigine boy, is an older version of the Feral Boy in The Road Warrior. The young actor, Brandon Walters, all but steals the movie from Jackman and Kidman just with his eyes and smile. Bryan Brown, too much removed from movies these days, gives a splendid performance as King Carney and his running mate from Breaker Morant, Jack Thompson, is just as splendid as the reformed hard drinking account.

David Gulpill who plays the mystic King George (the Wizard of Oz perhaps) also plays the mystic Aborigine in The Right Stuff

Hugh Jackman commands every scene he is in and the fact that more women didn't storm the box-office in support of this film leads me to think that women don't like Nicole Kidman. She is very good in the film and by the end she convinced me that she and Jackman had chemistry but I would have liked to see more of that chemistry at the top of the movie. I am left wondering what Kate Winslet would have been like in the role.

Jackman does a wonderful job of playing the hero known only as the Drover, an outcast of society with a wounded heart.

It's an incredibly romantic story of redemption, honor and family told against the backdrop of Australia from 1939 to 1942. As I said, part western ( a wonderful cattle drive against the odds), part romance, part fairy tale (The Wizard of Oz, part war film, part myth. it made me think of Quigley Down Under and A Town Called Alice as well.

Baz Luhrmann, the director, has a sense of style and visuals that keeps the movie going along at steady pace. Though it runs 165 minutes I would be hard pressed to say what should be cut. As for the CGI, it looked great on our set. Not once did it take us out of the film nor did it look it like CGI. it was high quality.

The cinematography is jaw-droppingly beautiful.

We missed seeing it in the theaters last winter but I am glad we got the opportunity to see it this year.

We both highly recommend this wonderful, romantic film.
Lynn in Lake Balboa

"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."

"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese

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klondike

Re: Australia (2008)

Post by klondike »

Thank you, Lynn; I was beginning to think I'd seen a far different film than anybody else had!
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mrsl
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Re: Australia (2008)

Post by mrsl »

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Klondike:

We actually agreed on Australia. Maybe my review sounded different, but it did cover all the action and adventure you mentioned, and that little boy was a joy to watch. I guess Kidman is what kind of spoiled it for me. I dislike her intensely, and if it wasn't for Hugh Jackman, I probably would have kept passing it by. However, I'm glad I didn't because I would have missed a good movie. I kind of wish Goldie Hawn would crank her daughter's chain and convince her to try a few serious roles, and get out of the two-bit comedies. Kate might have been good in Australia because if it's a case of like mother, like daughter, she could end up a fine dramatic actress.


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Anne


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sandykaypax
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Re: Australia (2008)

Post by sandykaypax »

Hmmm...I may have to see this one, now, after Lynn's enthusiastic review. I really like BOTH Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, but I stayed away from this because it got lukewarm reviews. Also, a good friend of mine tried to watch it and pronounced it boring. I don't think she finished watching it, though. Maybe this is one that you need to stick with.

Sandy K
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mrsl
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Re: Australia (2008)

Post by mrsl »

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Have an emery board handy to file your nails with during the slower parts, of which there are three or four, but they do not ruin the movie, just slows down the pace a little at in-opportune times. Also as I said, Kidman was my reason for not being in a hurry to see it, although she wasn't all that hard to take in this one. - - Enjoy it :!: :!:
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Anne


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sandykaypax
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Re: Australia (2008)

Post by sandykaypax »

Ok, Anne, good to know! Sometimes I watch a movie on the tv in the bedroom and fold laundry. Maybe I'll have a chore ready!

Sandy K
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