Review: Australia

Review: Australia

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 54%

It's a long movie (2 hrs. 35 min.), but the time flew by. The narrative is strong, if derivative. I want to like this film a lot more than I did -- mostly because of Hugh Jackman -- who is so much fun to watch. I also want to like it because my friend Jan Harris, who is from Australia and grew up on a sheep farm, loved this movie. She thought Americans should all see it because it would show them a period and place in Australian history with which few Americans are familiar. That's true. It's Australian Big Valley with Nicole Kidman in the Barbara Stanwyck role. Yes, it is derivative. It's also African Queen and, believe it or not, Lawrence of Arabia, with Jackman as Lawrence and Nicole as his camel boy. And, I confess, I did need an Australian history lesson. Up until seeing this film, I would have sworn that no part of Australia was attacked by the Japanese in World War II. Well, I'm embarrassed. Not only was Darwin bombed on 19 February 1942 (with more bombs than the number dropped on Pearl Harbor), but there were about 100 more attacks of a lesser scale during the war.

Another good reason to see this movie is the beguiling performance of Brandon Walters who plays a mixed race child doing his best to avoid the authorities. At this point in Australian history, half-Aboriginal children were separated from their families and placed in institutions where they were prepared for integration into white society as laborers. Of course, if you're really interested in seeing a fine movie on this same issue, see Rabbit Proof Fence.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it