Movie Review: Australia

Few filmmakers know how to make epic movies but Luhrmann proves to be the rule to the exception. Set in 1939 Australia is really a love story in the purest sense. We have a displaced noble woman named Sarah Ashley go to this unchartered territory to investigate the state of affairs at her family’s palatial homestead.

Out in the wilderness Lady Ashley sticks out like a sore thumb. When her husband leaves rather prematurely Ms. Ashley must decide whether to stay or go. Complications aplenty arise since this city woman used to the lap of luxury has really no help except some aboriginal hands. Left with a vast array of cattle to contend with in no short order our British transplant learns that a ruthless Australian businessman named King Carney has designs of his own for that prized piece of property.

Unsure of her next move Sarah encounters the mysterious and rather mischievous Driver, a hardened farm hand more used to dealing with animals than finely coiffed women. These two seem an unlikely pair but through hard work and a desire to stay alive the pair embarks on a wondrous journey full of peril and danger.

Standout acting and great chemistry between leads Nicole Kidman (The Hours) and Hugh Jackman (X-Men) turn Australia into a momentous journey. Breathtaking scenery of the Australian outback will ensure a boost in tourism to that gorgeous country as we watch the spectacle before us unfold. Tension abounds in this 2 ½ hour movie that flies off the screen. Villains help bring these two misfits closer with Bryan Brown (F/X) epitomizing the big boss mentality on the frontier as King Carney, a titan of commerce used to getting his own way.