Seaholm Highlander

When you give director Baz Luhrmann the combination of silver screen goddess Nicole Kidman (Golden Compass) lady killer gone action star Hugh Jackman (The Prestige) and the backdrop of 1940’s Australia, you are sure to have a love story that will melt even the coldest of hearts. But Australia delivers far more than its chick flick exterior would lead you to believe.

This wide-sweeping love story follows British aristocrat Sarah Ashley (Kidman), who is on a trip to Australia to visit her husband. When in Australia she is met by the Drover (Jackman) who is to take her to her husband’s land, Faraway Downs. However, when Lady Ashley reaches the property she is immediately faced with the tragic death of her husband, putting her in charge of the cattle land and all of its workings.

With the encouragement of Nullah (Brandon Walters), Ashley reluctantly joins forces with the Drover to move her husband’s 2,000 head of cattle across the unforgiving Australia landscape. The film takes another tragic turn after the bombing of the city of Darwin by the Japanese towards the conclusion.

Between the perfectly acted stuck up attitude of Kidman and the rugged Aussie demeanor of Jackman, and the sheer beauty and love that go into not only the plot but the visual aspects of the film, you are sure to find yourself laughing and crying.

The performances of Kidman and Jackman were of course impeccable, though there is little any actor could do to transform these tired roles into something more. It is the performance of fresh faced actor Brandon Walters that will blow you away.

It is rare for a young actor like Walters to be put on screen with big shots like Kidman and Jackman and not fade into the background. But Walters’s role of Nullah, a bi-racial boy constantly running from the authorities, does anything but that. You will fall in love with Nullah, and find yourself begging the film’s characters to protect him.

The performances of supporting actors carry the movie through with extreme believability, leaving no gaps in the Aussie façade.

However, Australia is not without its blunders. The nearly unbelievable length and amount of plot to this film can leave you wondering when it will end. While engrossed in the story you may see a number of points where this film could come to its conclusion, though those conclusions would cut out much of the plot Luhrmann felt the need to include.

For instance the explosion filled sequence toward the end of the film, while epic and moving seems completely unessecary. The film could have easily ended without adding an aspect of war and destruction, though it would eliminate the chance for Hugh Jackman to yet again save the day, and be shirtless.

While I appreciate the diverse directions this movie takes it almost makes you feel as if it could be three separate movies. One of war, one of family, and yet another the nearly tired love story that we all saw coming a mile away.

Despite the difficult length and abundance of plot Australia’s beautiful story and stunning visual appeal will have you leaving the theatre feeling satisfied. This movie is well worth the ten dollars you paid for it!