JC's Favorites - Australia

 

In 2008, a story of adventure, of intrigue, and of romance swept into US Theaters late in the year. Baz Luhrmann's Australia is one of my favorite films of all.  

Lady Ashley (Nicole Kidman), in her estate in England, decides to travel to her husband's Australian cattle ranch, Faraway Downs, and sell the failing ranch for some much needed quick cash to the cattle monopolizer Leslie 'King' Carney (Bryan Brown). She is escorted by the rough-and-tumble Drover (Hugh Jackman) to Faraway Downs.

Her husband, Lord Maitland Ashley, had been murdered just before her arrival. The accused: an aboriginal gulapa, or magic-man, King George. A small aboriginal boy, Nullah (Brandon Walters), tells Ashley that the ranch's manager, Neil Fletcher (David Wenham) is not all he seems, that he has been creating the problems the ranch has been facing, even stealing cattle and driving them into Carney's property. 

Ashley dismisses Fletcher upon learning this, and forms a grudging alliance with the Drover to drive 1,500 head of cattle into the wharf in Darwin to sell to the army and break Carney's monopoly on the cattle business. 

And that is where the story REALLY begins, and truly is only the beginning. The review, however, begins after the jump.

Throughout the story, each character truly comes into their own, a powerful force within this epic tale. Each character has their own story, their own unique personality, and their own way of dealing with the different obstacles that appear throughout the film. In each character we see the highs, the lows, and everything in between, and we're right there with them all the way.

Like any movie, you have to take the good with the bad. There are brilliant scenes, as well as the forgettable. There's also one scene that practically has a neon sign that reads "Female Fan-Service" complete with water, naked torso, and "ooh... Mr. Drover..."

However, you cannot watch this movie and NOT fall in love with the absolutely adorable, bright, and badass Nullah, played by Brandon Walters, who had never been in anything before, and as of the writing of this article, anything since. I hope to all that's holy this kid gets picked up for quite a lot, for he has a TON of charm and potential.

It is quite a long movie, well over two and a half hours, and it does feel like it's more than one movie, and personally, I rather like that quality in a movie, for this is one that you don't really WANT to end. You keep wanting to see more and more.

This is a film you're going to want to buy. You're going to be coming back to this every now and again, and it'll be great to have on your shelf when you want it in your DVD player.