Review of Australia (2008) by Filipeneto — 25 May 2021

I loved this movie. Adventurous-themed films appeal to almost anyone easily, and with such a good cast and such a well-told story it's hard for this film to miss the mark. The film is a very interesting and well-written story about a wealthy British aristocrat who travels to Australia to hear about her husband, who is there at the head of a cattle ranch. What she finds is not what she expected: her husband's corpse, a despised property and a great dispute over the lands.

What most enchanted me in the film was the story and the way it develops, dynamic and full of a sense of adventure. The opening scenes are truly fantastic and the action scenes, with the oxen, are thrilling. The story is immersive and, despite being a film a little longer than normal, it doesn't get in the way because we don't even feel the time passing. The film works really well, pays a moving tribute to the native Australian people and also to one of the most notable classic films ever, "The Wizard of Oz", whose scenes are used in some moments of the film.

One of the big factors that made the film so good is the excellent work of the actors. Nicole Kidman is beautiful, is in her best shape here and seems to be truly enjoying the work she is doing. Hugh Jackman, a gem Australian, makes good use of his native accent and gives his character an almost palpable authenticity and rusticism, and it was great to see the way he and Kidman worked together and the chemistry they built, which almost always sounds good. Brandon Walters was a surprise, considering the actor's youth and the talent he showed. He is a young promise that I would like to see working on more films in the future. I really liked the work of Essie Davis and Bryan Brown, I think that both actors did a decent job and very well accomplished. Less interesting, at least for me, was the performance of David Wenham, another Australian actor (the bet on the cast of native origin was intelligent, no doubt). The character seemed a little too cliché to be believable, and the actor suffered from it.

Technically, the film shows the value of its budget well and has a lot of quality, starting with the extraordinary cinematography. It is one of the most visually beautiful films I have seen this year, and that means anything to a man who almost sees a different film every day. The film takes full advantage of the wild Australian landscapes and the CGI used to recreate cities and other environments is very nice and beautiful, although it is sometimes evident that it is a green screen and not a real place. This feeling of lack of authenticity increases in the final scenes, and it takes away some of its beauty and impact, but I handled it well, and I consider it a minor weakness. The good sets and costumes complete the overall picture with merit, and the effects used were impeccable. The soundtrack is efficient but not as good as it could, and it should be.