117 out of 118 people found the following review helpful:

*** May contain spoilers ***

Beautiful scenery and people... and a very Mills and Boon storyline

A Customer from CARDIFF, 19th December, 2008

In the film, Kidman plays a widowed English aristocrat in the 1930s, who comes to northern Australia to sell a cattle property the size of Belgium. She becomes caught in the bombing of Darwin during World War II with a drover played by Jackman. I saw the Welsh premiere last night and both my 99 year old Nan and I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The cinematography is amazing and a great advert for the country. The audience swooned every time Hugh Jackman graced the screen and it is obvious that Baz Luhrman exploits the actor's physique and good looks for all he's worth. We loved that but many male viewers may squirm at its cheesiness. Whilst the film did not go into as much depth as 'The Rabbit Proof Fence' regarding the stolen generation of aboriginals who were separated from their families by the government, it served as a basic introduction to the indiginous culture of the Northern Territories. Nicole Kidman was stunning throughout and her character's love for the Drover and the talented child star Brandon Walters was very believable. It was also interesting to learn that Australia was invaded during the war. The main failing of the film was its melodramatic storyline. Bizzarely, 'Australia' reminded me of the classic TV series 'The Wacky Races' as throughout the film, a Dick Dastardly - style baddie kept being outwitted by Lady Sarah and her team. It was almost comedic in the way that just when yet another character died and you thought she would be on the next flight home to Blighty, miraculously everything would work out for her.

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37 out of 39 people found the following review helpful:

Much better entertainment than the high-minded critics would have you think

wreeve from from London NW3, 24th December, 2008

I saw this film in Australia, where it gets a critical panning - extending to a full-page diatribe from the dreadful Germaine Greer. I saw the film regardless, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was reminded of Titanic, another film I saw despite low expectations, and left the cinema feeling pleasantly surprised. Titanic was a huge critical success, so I obviously wasn't the only person who enjoyed it. Australia has enough weaknesses for the critics to go at. The one that particularly irks me is the fake 'documentary' element to it - i.e. it portrays its background as being factually accurate. Which it isn't; Germaine Greer gets upset about the portrayal of Aborigines (which I don't know anything about) but even I know that Japanese soldiers did *not* in fact invade Australia tho they certainly did viciously bomb Darwin. But this is a niggle - the plot does not stand or fall on these innaccuracies. But the strengths of the movie are several. Starting with the acting. The half-Aboriginal kid does indeed steal the show - he is great and we all hope to see more of him. Nicole, who I think is fantastic, was not at her best but is nonetheless very good. Hugh Jackman is also very solid in a broadly undemanding role, tho I agree with the reviewer who said that male members of the audience may find director Baz Luhrman's exploitation of Jackman's 'phwoar' looks and torso a bit cheesy. The story is predictable - but, hey, I enjoyed Titanic right? - and a bit longwinded, but no less enjoyable for all that. The King George character adds a few twists and turns and, despite saying very little, is one of the most memorable parts I've seen played in ages. The scenery is terrific and the 'stampede scene' is really mesmerising for all its obvious CGI-ness. 'nuff said. Overall this was a very enjoyable drama/western/rom-com with an edge - Australia - that few other films of the moment can match. It won't win any Oscars but it will entertain you, in a wonderfully widescreen way.

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18 out of 18 people found the following review helpful:

Australia

A Customer from Sutton Coldfield, 8th January, 2009

It's clear that most critics have some sort of axe to grind when writing about a film, and to take their comments at face value means a lot of wasted time viewing utter pretentious rubbish, and missing out on some very watchable and entertaining films. My wife and I are in our early fifties and we loved Australia. Our daughter is 22 and she and her similarly aged friends also loved the film (in fact we went to see it on their recommendation). It's a long film, but because it is so good and so beautifully filmed, the time flew. The chances are you will thoroughly enjoy this film, so don't be put off by an adverse review!

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18 out of 18 people found the following review helpful:

*** May contain spoilers ***

A wide sweep of emptiness

A Customer from Enfield, 28th December, 2008

I used to think I enjoyed Baz Luhrman's earlier films but on repeated watching I seemed to have tired of the overblown techniques that captured and even enraptured me when these films were first seen in the cinema. 'Australia' is just too expansive and exaggerated, it tries too hard to be the epic it is not, and uses the mysteries of the Aboriginal culture to gloss over some truly obvious and cliched aspects of the plot, such as it is. Nevertheless I enjoyed it for what is was, and loved the performance from the young Brandon Walters as the 'half-caste' boy at the centre of the story. Hugh Jackman is handsome and rugged as the local cattle drover who refuses, until the Lady (Kidman) turns up, to be attached to anything or anyone, but his performance is limited in depth, although with a role as superficial as it is, it was probably all that could be asked of him. Nicole Kidman's character is one of a similarly stereotypical well brought up naive English Lady who within days seems able to deal with herding cattle across a desert in a swirling dust storm and a spiteful cattle baron trying to destroy the farm she inherits from her deceased husband, but I thought she did better with the role than Jackman did. My advice is just to sit back and relax and enjoy the ride, as you will in all likelihood not want to see it again, and certainly not on a small screen....

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An Insight into Australia

A Customer from England, 6th November, 2009

A wonderful insight into Australia, particularly in the wartime period. Nonetheless, this film could be seen as a little pretentious, principally because of its unnecessarily long duration. Overall, though, this was an enjoyable film, and definitely worth watching. The acting of both Kidman and Jackman will not disappoint their fans.

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Great story, fab scenery

A Customer from Oxford, 6th November, 2009

Well, besides some wonderful scenery of Australia, this was such a good story. Ok, it was a long film, but if I made it through without having a sore bum, it had to have been a good watch :-) OK, I'm a Hugh Jackman fan, but I would have enjoyed in anyway, he was just a bonus.

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Australia

A Customer from Bexhill-on-Sea, 6th November, 2009

Not sure about this one. Did not really get the point of the film. The story did not really seem to have come from anywhere and did not appear to go anywhere either. Sorry folks. Acting good and the characters were believable.

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austrailia

binc from , 4th November, 2009

really enjoyed this from start and finish

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