Here’s a story you aren’t reading in the Australian press, or anywhere else for that matter. We know media outlets visit our site for information, so perhaps this will give them something to rehash, or at the very least to think about. Australia has been released in Australia and America for 4/5 days now. Plenty of time for the critics to have their reviews printed. As with Baz opinions tend to be polarized, there’s been good, bad, and in between. So far it appears the good and in between outrank the bad, you can read the mix of reviews here.
Have you been to a screening yet? If you have, chances are the crowd were so impressed that they applauded at the end. In Australia this is not a common thing after a film, so it is amazing to witness; likewise we’re told the same is occurring all around American cinemas, already with nine separate instances mentioned on the IMDb message boards. When a complete stranger turns to you in the audience and says, “I feel like standing up and applauding,” and then proceeds to do so, this is a powerful film. Because of the subject nature, it may not be a film that will immediately attract cinemagoers in droves (no pun intended), but with such responses you can bet word of mouth will be the friend of this film and australiamovie.net intends to lead the way.
What’s quite disappointing is to see the Australian media’s willingness to re-report the few scathing reviews from our international neighbours. The Aussie press are not here to blindly praise the film; however nor should they report as though international opinions are gospel. As a small country we do tend to put a lot of stock in what the larger nations such as the UK and USA have to say, sometimes to a fault. We respect our older siblings and like to know what they think. However, if one critic from the UK publishes a scathing review over the film and Kidman’s acting, why is it then relevant for Australian media to publish an article …about this article?? Likewise with tales from The Age about the film supposedly ‘bombing’ in America; here’s an article which used current figures up to Friday when the film was only released on Wednesday. The article also failed to acknowledge that the film made twice the amount that Luhrmann’s previous Academy Award winning cult film, Moulin Rouge! made on its first day out, nor did it mention the box office went up by almost 100% on Friday and should bring in solid figures for the weekend. While this film will not likely take in massive numbers each day, it should do a long and steady haul to see it reap returns. Meanwhile no doubt we’ll continue to be fed a sensationalised and skewed portion of the truth, because it sells and it gets people talking. For as fast as some outlets were happy to put the film up on an unreachable pedestal, they have been just as eager to tear it down.
If you’ve reached this site before seeing the film, wanting to know if you should bother or not. Ask yourself, when was the last time you went to a film and people enjoyed it so much that they cheered and applauded? If you’re visiting our site because you enjoyed the film, then we encourage you to spread the word!
Well, we’re back, and just in time by my watch as in less than an hour it is about to tick over to November 26th, the day many of us have been waiting for!
I’d like you all to take a brief moment to read this important news update. Almost two weeks ago the fever-pitch surrounding this majestic film grew so large that our site drained our webhost of power. Needless to say this did not make them happy. Essentially, our site was so popular that we were forced to close!
How did we re-open? With the outlay of A LOT of money, we’ve been able to upgrade to a server of our own. This means we will be able to host lots more content and hopefully handle all the wonderful visitors that this film can throw at us.
However, when I say that it cost a lot of money, I mean A LOT! It was a tough decision, pay the high price or just let this amazing site and source of information from over the last two years disappear? With so much passion and commitment to this movie, we elected to keep the site open, however we’re opening up the money jar and hoping that our visitors will help out where they can.
If you like visiting our page for anything at all, our on the ball news, forum, our massive picture gallery or extensive video and audio archive please consider making a donation. We have set it up through the ultra secure and trustworthy PayPal and it can be done in the click of a button.
Any donation is really greatly appreciated, and please spread the word that we’re back in business and let others know of our plight or we may be forced to close for good!!
To lighten the mood, australiamovie.net is so prominent that its closure was even featured in this news story on TV…albeit as part of a crazy conspiracy theory to do with the film’s ending!! …
On Tuesday 18th of November, australiamovie.net held one of the the nation’s most sought after invitations in their hand, a ticket for two to the star studded Red Carpet Premiere of Baz Luhrmann’s latest film Australia. The Sydney skies drizzled as the stars lined the red carpet, entering the George Street cinemas for their first glimpse at the film. Even the leading actors had not been privy to the final cut and were eager to get the show on the road.
After pre-drinks we were rounded into our various cinemas and upon arrival, waiting on our seats were neatly packed Australia dinner packs with wraps, rolls, trail mix and of course the good ol Aussie lamington! As an after dinner treat, TimTam™ biscuits of course!
Our review of the amazing spectacle that was about to befall us can be read after the “more” jump in this article.
When the film let out, the attendees were in the mood for a party, and Bazmark and Fox provided a stunning one! The VIPs were rounded up in chartered buses and taken in their hordes to the swanky night location, The Ivy. With Jacob’s Creek and Coopers as partners, free flowing alcohol ensured that everyone was having a fantastic time. The entire evening was a splendid who’s, who of the Aussie A-List. Graciously making time to speak with australiamovie.net were some of the film’s greats Jack Thompson, David Wenham, Craig Pearce, stunning Catherine Martin and adorable Brandon Walters.
The entire event was a wonderful way to celebrate the culmination of many many years of hard work, it also served as an early birthday party for our website, which has just turned two years old!
- australiamovie.net
21 November 2008
Would you like to hear a story?
Baz Luhrmann and 20th Century Fox are firmly invested that your answer will be ‘yes’, and for the last three or more years Luhrmann and his team have been tirelessly working to tell, not just the nation but, the world one they won’t soon forget.
Before the film’s release there has been plenty of hype about the stunning Australian landscape, and most recently the beauty of lead actor, Hugh Jackman. While both these things are certainly present in full force, this is not a production that rests on the artifice of looks alone. A lot of talent has gone into making this movie, from direction, costume & set design, music to acting we are served up a banquet of Australia’s best, and it is a meal that not only satisfies, but has you coming back for seconds.
This is a multilayered screenplay, involving a social commentary which is still very much applicable to this day and age. Not only does the audience watch as people from two very different classes find common ground and eventually love with each other; but we’re also shown a dark chapter of Australia’s past, where racism was not only tolerated but legislatively enforced.
To those worried about getting a history lesson forced upon them, fear not, for though the events such as the bombing of Darwin, and removal of aboriginal children from their homes are documented events from the past, they are part of a bigger story that is, Australia.
By now you’ve likely read the same plot outline a million times. Stuffy British aristocrat (Kidman) goes to Australia to meet her husband on their cattle station in Australia. Surprise, a twist sees Lady Sarah teaming up with an unlikely match in Hugh Jackman’s Drover and a journey ensues whereby the pair are forced together to overcome all odds. The film is set in 1930’s/40’s outback Australia, on the cusp of World War II. We’re taken to a ‘land’ so far away that at first glance many may think they will not relate to this film at all; but that could not be further from the truth. Australia is a film with a story much bigger than time and place. The themes of family, love, loss and the struggles associated with these things are all something with which the average moviegoer can empathise.
A film of the period, The Wizard of Oz, has been used as a device to thread parts of the movie together. Through this we understand the main premise behind Australia, ‘there’s no place like home’, and to a greater extent home is not necessarily a physical place, but rather it is with whomever has your heart.
The love story between central characters is a great example of this. Kidman and Jackman make the pairing believable. There’s a chemistry between Drover and Sarah that makes the unlikely couple not only possible, but palpable. Once their worlds collide, what we really see are two lonely souls searching for someone to hold on to. Often driven apart by time, distance and opinions, any time they’re together there’s a real feeling that they’ve come home.
Part of Sarah’s common ground with the Drover is her respect for the aboriginal people as human beings with rights and feelings, just like any other. It is this compassion drawn out of Sarah that sees her take the young half cast child, Nullah, under her wing regardless of the immense social stigma attached.
Kidman and Walters’ moments on screen together are some of the film’s best; from periods of heightened comedy, which sees Lady Sarah animatedly singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow to periods of intense drama and tragedy. Their burgeoning relationship as mother and child is clearly channelled from the close relationship said to have fostered between the pair on set. Kidman’s performance with the youngster and his on screen family is some of her best recent work as the character of Sarah battles her own perceptions of the indigenous community and right vs wrong. Those who see fit to criticize Kidman’s art in this film are no doubt slaves to the confusing pop culture trend to repeatedly cut down this actor’s fine performances, thereby rendering their own opinion, or rather lack thereof, worthless.
Likewise, bright eyed and full of untapped talent, Walters delivers a character perhaps as fresh and innocent as he himself. The 12 year old provides a heart-warming performance, showing his diverse range from comedy to tragedy hitting all the right theatrical notes along the way, literally. Another thing we’ve learnt from Australia is that the boy can sing! Throughout the film the character uses traditional song to overcome obstacles, which is both beautiful and at times almost haunting. Early screenings of Australia already have the words ‘Oscar’; and ‘nomination’ being attached to Walter’s first performance, rightly so.
Jackman finds himself in a role which should certainly reposition him in the eyes of many; as a bankable love interest and a strong leading man. It’s true the film undoubtedly plays off of Jackman’s good looks, including a peepshow bathing scene that lit up internet discussion boards well before the film’s release. Luhrmann displayed a clever understanding of his audience and craft by including scenes such as this, but he certainly does not allow for the spectacle to overtake the story. If the message of the film is to live life and have your own story, well the Drover certainly does this. He’s a complex man, but not one so repulsive that you cannot warm to him. Perhaps when people hear “rough hewn drover” they expect “bastard” to be added into the equation, and unimpressed by aristocracy though he may be, unequivocal bastard he ain’t. He’s a realist and does things his own way, but underneath the character is full of heart and given that this is a love story it’s certainly not a bad thing. He stands up for what he believes is right, even if it is to his own demise, and loves those closest to him with quiet, yet fierce passion. At the end of the day he’s a character who should be ‘attractive’ to both men and women. Hugh Jackman executes the role of the Drover and his inner turmoil with award worthy precision.
Other cast warranting applaudable mentions are David Gulpillil, Jack Thompson, and most definitely the villain of the piece, David Wenham. Some other smaller supporting roles are carried out with competence, though not always at the elite level of their counterparts.
The cinematography and style of this film are things which should be no surprise to Luhrmann fans, but being that this production is his first departure from the Red Curtain Trilogy, it may well be a surprise to any new audience garnered. True this is an historical outback epic, but aided by cinematographer Mandy Walker, it still has the true fingerprints of a Luhrmann film. Australia is a throwback to the films of yesteryear and this is evident in more than just the script. ‘Heightened’ is the best way to describe the grandeur of the scenery and the characters. Though very clearly shot on location, it often feels as though you’re flipping through the pages of a beautifully illustrated storybook. Going to the cinema expecting to see an everyday war/romance film, this could be unsettling, but in true Luhrmann style by the time you reach the awe inspiring stampede action sequence most viewers should have well and truly given themself over to the storyteller.
Along with this heightened vision has come conjecture on the CGI effects employed. To this reviewer the war scenes were seamless, but early in the piece there were moments where the film did feel physically layered, adding to the pop up storybook feel. Whether this was intentional or not, it certainly is not a prominent factor that distracted from the story, instead it could be argued that it merely added to the unique style of the film. This is one small area in which there is likely to be debate between punters. For some it will work, for others looking for a naturalised canvas it will not.
The Darwin war scenes are amazing. The sheer amount of damage unleashed on the city is conveyed to the cinema with striking explosions, which not only light up the screen, but the sheer force and volume literally shake your seat in the cinema. A chilling experience. The compositions by David Hirschfelder, who first worked with Luhrmann on Strictly Ballroom, are bold and exciting when demanded and underplayed and emotive at the appropriate moments. I’m particularly looking forward to hearing the instrumental piece played during the action packed stampede sequence once the soundtrack is released. Other artists to feature on the soundtrack are The John Butler Trio and Elton John, whose song ‘The Drover’ features prominently over the end credits. Elton and Luhrmann have penned a competent song together, but the possibility for mass airplay, unlike Luhrmann’s other works, may allude this soundtrack completely. However being that this film is separated from the Red Curtain Trilogy, achieving a pop culture phenomenon soundtrack may not have been high on Luhrmann’s ‘to do’ list.
Australia is a film a bout heart and home. The expectations placed upon it to be the world’s best movie ever were near impossible weights to be carried. Without them, the cinema going world may well have been better taken by surprise. Still Australia does not sink like the Titanic, rather it carries itself gracefully as though it were a wild brumby crossed with a majestic English thoroughbred. It is an enchanting, passionate and gripping film more than worth the price of your movie ticket one that MUST be seen on the big screen.
Due to the recent and unscheduled downtime of this site, we need to get everyone caught up with some videos that came about during this time. Here’s a quick re-cap of some important TV appearances and online footage! Please let your friends and fellow fans know that we’re back!
To coincide with the release of Australia Tourism Australia, in partnership with News Ltd, has produced a 68-page magazine celebrating the movie and showcasing amazing Australian holiday experiences.
The magazine will appear as an insert in this weekend’s The Weekend Australian and will be supported with an in-paper promotion and point of sale posters distributed to newsagencies nationally.
A national cinema sampling program from 27 November until March 2009 will see the magazine available at high traffic cinemas and outdoor cinemas including St George, Moonlight and Starlight with copies also appearing nationally in Qantas Club lounges and scans in our gallery soon!
People Magazine have finally come to their senses and realised what a lot of us have known for some time, Hugh Jackman is the Sexiest Man Alive! The Drover has claimed the prestigious title for their 2008 issue and it couldn’t come at a better or more appropriate time for Australia.
Moviegoers heading to the cinema after November 26th will get to see the splendour that is Hugh Jackman for themselves and having seen the film last Tuesday australiamovie.net can assure the punters that this man is more than eye candy!
Additionally, be sure to keep an eye out for the latest edition of Italian Vanity Fair (shown right) which features some very raw and rugged drover-esque shots of Hugh.
View images from Vanity Fair here, and scans from People magazine here at our forum.
The latest and penultimate podcast has finally hit our iPods after a long drawn out wait. However upon viewing the near 11 minute feature, you’ll likely resign to the fact that it was more than worth it!
This podcast, Baz Luhrmann takes us into the world of the composer, being, David Hirschfelder. David first worked with Luhrmann on his early work, Strictly Ballroom and has won many industry awards since. In this podcast we’re treated to elements of the score and shown how they shape and affect the actions we’re seeing on screen.
Other key players interviewed include Anton Monsted, Simon Leadley, Felix Meagher and Brett Kelly.
Musicians confirmed to have their music featured in the epic film include, David Gulpilil, John Butler, The Pigrims and Elton John.
Download the latest edition of Set To Screen via your free iTunes subscription or view the episode on YouTube. Screencaps coming soon.
The magazine will appear as an insert in this weekend’s The Weekend Australian and will be supported with an in-paper promotion and point of sale posters distributed to newsagencies nationally.
The latest and penultimate podcast has finally hit our iPods after a long drawn out wait. However upon viewing the near 11 minute feature, you’ll likely resign to the fact that it was more than worth it!