X
- 2008
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 45 m
- 2008
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 45 m
Summary Australia is an epic and romantic action adventure, set in that country on the explosive brink of World War II. In it, an English aristocrat travels to the faraway continent, where she meets a rough-hewn local and reluctantly agrees to join forces with him to save the land she inherited. Together, they embark upon a transforming journey ...
Directed By: Baz Luhrmann
Written By: Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan, Baz Luhrmann
- 2008
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 45 m
- 2008
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 45 m
Australia
53
6.3
Where to Watch
Summary Australia is an epic and romantic action adventure, set in that country on the explosive brink of World War II. In it, an English aristocrat travels to the faraway continent, where she meets a rough-hewn local and reluctantly agrees to join forces with him to save the land she inherited. Together, they embark upon a transforming journey ...
Directed By: Baz Luhrmann
Written By: Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan, Baz Luhrmann
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 38 Critic Reviews
53
39% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
50% Mixed
19 Reviews
19 Reviews
11% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 38 Critic Reviews
53
39% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
50% Mixed
19 Reviews
19 Reviews
11% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
Australia goes for the absolute limit in terms of scope. And let's not be coy -- size may not matter, but it still helps.
With measured visual flash, Luhrmann highlights the delightful presence of his two stars and realizes an unlikely feelgood film, in spite of its grave matters.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 108 User Ratings
6.3
51% Positive
55 Ratings
55 Ratings
38% Mixed
41 Ratings
41 Ratings
11% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 108 User Ratings
6.3
51% Positive
55 Ratings
55 Ratings
38% Mixed
41 Ratings
41 Ratings
11% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
Australia is basically a complete pack **** film, 2 hours and 45 minutes with an easily engaging and yet incredible story, an amazing performance and perfect chemistry between Kidman and Jackman but the one that above both chemistry is the real soul and heart of the film, Brandon Walters as Nullah, his performance and his relationship with Nicole Kidman is i think even above her relationship with Jackman, also his connection with The Wizard Of Oz and Over The Rainbow song makes it even more fascinating and beautiful and great for me personally, you can feel the long for about a moment in the middle but the movie just have too many great things to show that as the time goes i'm just enjoying it and keep fascinated by it throughout the film until the end and so that making it didn't really matter, it is a heartwarming powerful film directed by the great Baz Luhrmann's who made one of the best modern dance film Strictly Ballroom, but unfortunately he made one of the worst adaptation films Romeo + Juliet after that, but also after that thankfully he made one of the greatest Musical films i've ever watch, Moulin Rouge!, and now with Australia he made one of the greatest War drama films i've ever watch.
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Epic!! Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman were absolutely perfect for these roles. Another highly underrated movie. It's stunning, enjoyable, funny, epic!!! I am impressed! Baz Luhrmann is a talent!
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Baz Luhrmann's Australia has it all - unfortunately. With four major story lines and more endings than "The Return of the King," this ambitious 165-minute epic is the movie equivalent of an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Epic piffle.
If looks were everything, director Baz Luhrmann's epic salute to his native land would be the movie of the year. But, crikey, a padded script bloated with subplots and shameless sentimentality can wear you down.
Long before the second hour of Australia (which feels like the fifth), it's clear that Luhrmann hasn't found a satisfactory way to make a movie nearly as ballsy -- or coherent -- as he wants his creation to be.
Australia shows all the signs of having been a labor of love for director Baz Luhrmann. One problem: It's his love, and the audience's labor.
Unashamedly epic. Unabashedly romantic. Unforgettably touching. Baz Luhrmann delivers THE underrated film of the noughties. Due to the enormous hype following the movie-musical extravaganza of Moulin Rouge!, Australia suffered a case of critic tall-poppy syndrome, in which it seemed the film was doomed for universal criticism before anyone had laid eyes on it. However, if one watches this with an openness and emotion availability, they'll find an unforgettable journey. Luhrmann's direction is impeccable and unique, and Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman's chemistry is electrifying. The character of Nullah is one of the absolute standouts, rounding out a stellar cast. I can not stop the tears from flowing every time I watch this film - Australia should be up there with the best of them!
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I loved this movie. Adventurous-themed films appeal to almost anyone easily, and with such a good cast and such a well-told story it's hard for this film to miss the mark. The film is a very interesting and well-written story about a wealthy British aristocrat who travels to Australia to hear about her husband, who is there at the head of a cattle ranch. What she finds is not what she expected: her husband's corpse, a despised property and a great dispute over the lands.
What most enchanted me in the film was the story and the way it develops, dynamic and full of a sense of adventure. The opening scenes are truly fantastic and the action scenes, with the oxen, are thrilling. The story is immersive and, despite being a film a little longer than normal, it doesn't get in the way because we don't even feel the time passing. The film works really well, pays a moving tribute to the native Australian people and also to one of the most notable classic films ever, "The Wizard of Oz", whose scenes are used in some moments of the film.
One of the big factors that made the film so good is the excellent work of the actors. Nicole Kidman is beautiful, is in her best shape here and seems to be truly enjoying the work she is doing. Hugh Jackman, a gem Australian, makes good use of his native accent and gives his character an almost palpable authenticity and rusticism, and it was great to see the way he and Kidman worked together and the chemistry they built, which almost always sounds good. Brandon Walters was a surprise, considering the actor's youth and the talent he showed. He is a young promise that I would like to see working on more films in the future. I really liked the work of Essie Davis and Bryan Brown, I think that both actors did a decent job and very well accomplished. Less interesting, at least for me, was the performance of David Wenham, another Australian actor (the bet on the cast of native origin was intelligent, no doubt). The character seemed a little too cliché to be believable, and the actor suffered from it.
Technically, the film shows the value of its budget well and has a lot of quality, starting with the extraordinary cinematography. It is one of the most visually beautiful films I have seen this year, and that means anything to a man who almost sees a different film every day. The film takes full advantage of the wild Australian landscapes and the CGI used to recreate cities and other environments is very nice and beautiful, although it is sometimes evident that it is a green screen and not a real place. This feeling of lack of authenticity increases in the final scenes, and it takes away some of its beauty and impact, but I handled it well, and I consider it a minor weakness. The good sets and costumes complete the overall picture with merit, and the effects used were impeccable. The soundtrack is efficient but not as good as it could, and it should be.
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Luhrmann tries to have his cake and eat it too when it comes to balancing the art-house elements he's famous for and the traditional elements the material calls for. The result is a movie that is not artsy enough to separate itself from its obvious inspirations, And not traditional enough to stand alongside them.
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I had very high expectations from Luhrmann, being that "Australia" came as his next project after "Moulin Rouge," which is my favourite film of all times. However, "Australia" is far from deserving that honour. The critics got right the fact that the film is epic. Yes, it clearly is. Almost 3 hours of glorification of Australia - how could it not be? But grandeur alone does not make for a great film. Don't get me wrong - I did enjoy the film, and thought it was good. However, it had a bunch of things wrong with it. First of, it is not one story, it is a dozen of stories mixed into one overly-long film. Seriously, this could have been his next trilogy or something, since Luhrmann squeezed so much material into the film, that it's bursting out of its seems. Technically, though, "Australia" is amazing. With breathtaking cinematography, the usually spectacular art & production design, as well as costumes, and a good soundtrack, technically the film is superb. Acting is pretty good, too. Kidman is very good in comedic moments, but her lips indeed are too distracting from her acting. Jackman is his usual action-her self, so good, but nothing spectacular. The outstanding performances came from David Wenham as the arch-nemesis and the boy Brandon Walters, who stole the show. The screenplay is the weakest link of the film, along with its editing. Overall, "Australia" is a good film, but the story is too long, too stretched out, improbable and just not credible. At the end of the film you are visually amazed and in awe, but you are annoyed with the story. A nice try from Luhrmann, but he should have definitely cut at least 20-30 minutes from the film and worked more on the screenplay. Still, entertaining to watch for the visuals!
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[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Satellite Awards
• 3 Wins & 9 Nominations
Australian Film Institute
• 3 Wins & 8 Nominations
