Australia: If Only Baz Luhrmann did not muck around

With a title like "Australia", a canvas of the Great South Lands, an Oscar nominated director, a story about the Aboriginals' Stolen Generations and HUGE financial support from the Australian government; Baz Luhrmann's latest 3 hour epic film should have wowed. The film was expected to be the next "Gone With The Wind"; a cinematic experience of romance, drama, adventure and spectacle! It turned out to be the very opposite of what it set out to be. Coming in close to what Michael Bay did with "Pearl Harbour", Baz Luhrmann literally took "Australia" DOWN UNDER! Even the ultra sexy, Hugh Jackman; couldn't save the film for me.

"Australia" was disappointing in many ways. Of which, the Baz Luhrmann movie-making magic which I've enjoyed in what critics site as the Red Curtain Trilogy (a 'curtain' style of film making devised by Luhrmann to actively promote audience participation) seemed to have fizzled away. I couldn't help but compare "Australia"'s plot to Sydney Pollack's "Out Of Africa". Australia vs. Africa, The Great Outback vs. The African Safari, Coffee Plantation vs. Cow Range, Danish Woman vs. English Woman, Game Hunter vs. Drover... you see where I'm getting at? Saying all these, I really want to catch "Out Of Africa" again.

The characters were one dimensional, with the exception of King Carney (Bryan Brown); but his role in the film was too small to make any significant impact. After the Singapore Chinese drama series "The Little Nonya" (which I caught at most 3 episodes), I thought I wouldn't catch a storyline as predictable. I was awfully wrong! I truly enjoyed the 1st half of the film, but as soon as the fat cheeky bulls were guided up the bloody metal ship, I was yawning in tears. The sub plot on the Stolen Generations was so casually portrayed it left me frustrated toward the end. Historically, I really wanted to learn more.

This movie could have been great...

Besides Jackman (slurp) kudos to the Costume Dept. for some awesome looking outfits. And for Jackman - 2 sizes too small (slurp x3)

Costumes from Vogue Magazine: