pogoism

Having seen Baz Lurhmann’s previous films, Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet, I had high hopes for his latest offering “Australia”. Australia doesn’t have the same whirlwind editing that his previous films had, but it does keep the melodramatic emotion.

It doesn’t disappoint. You’ll no doubt hear that it’s long. And at 2 hours and 45 minutes, it is. But it’s never boring. Yes, it’s true that it could have been cut down dramatically – the first 2 hours of the movie are poorly paced, but the visuals and story more than make up for this – it’s enthralling.

Nicole Kidman plays Lady Sarah Ashley, who arrives in Australia to discover that her husband has been murdered, and inherits his cattle farm. She meets The Drover (Hugh Jackman), who helps her to run the farm. A competition between her and the rival cattle farm ensues to secure a contract with the Army.

This film isn’t just a melodrama though, it has a bit of everything – war saga, love story, Western, social-conscious drama, all making it very watchable. And, as usual, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman give stellar performances.

If you get a chance to see this, you should. Having said that, I wouldn’t make a massive effort to if you’re not a fan of Baz Lurhmann’s previous work. It is, after all, fluff.

After the jump, the trailer for Australia.