Somewhere Over the Outback: Movie Review of Australia and Ophelia of the Spirits

Australia (2008)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
165 min.

I went in to this movie having very high expectations. First- Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) is one of my favorite directors for his unique style and writing. Second- one of my good friends who has somwhat impeccable movie taste recommended it as one of the best epic films he's seen in a while and after watching it, I have to agree. It was amazing.

The film is obviously a Baz Luhrmann film with his signature quirky and unexpected subtle humor and the repetitive dialogue (repetitive in a good way). But don't expect it to look like Moulin Rouge! or Romeo and Juliet- this is not a part of the Red Curtain Trilogy. The film's overall look is sophisticated, while still very Baz. While the colors are more traditional that colors usually seen in Luhrmann films (the deep passionate colors of Moulin Rouge nd Strictly Ballroom and the bright technocolor world of Romeo and Juliet), but there is a high level of stylized contrast in many of the scenes- outlines of objects seem very pronounced and such- that really identify it as a Bazmark production.

The plot is fairly predictable but still good: Rich woman falls in love with working-class man as they fight to save the family farm. Luhrmann includes enough minor twists to keep the movie engaging for quite some time. The backdrop of World War II provides the epic with an exciting new direction about two thirds of the way in.

A warning to future viewers- if you have a short attention span concerning watching movies, this might not be be film for you. You will still enjoy it, but after the first hour and forty-five minutes, it seems that every twenty minutes presents a perfectly satisfying end point, complete with nice final fade out, only to continue on to a completely new chapter of the story. That is the nature of the epic but it sometimes felt that the nice end-points were too satisfying for there to be anything left to film.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and I am highly anticipating Luhrmann's next adventure, The Great Gatsby.
Rating: A-


Check Out: Ophelia of the Spirits

So, I first heard Ophelia of the Spirits on the Australia soundtrack (she provided two of the five tracks off the EP) Her voice is enchanting and haunting- reminding me of Enya and Lorenna McKinnett, but with an Australian flair. If you are a fan of these two artists, then you'll most likely enjoy Ophelia of the Spirits. Her EP ("Ophelia of the Spirits") is a less "Australian" sounding musical style but equally enjoyable. Give her a listen, New Age music fans!

Ophelia of the Spirits- House of Cards

A note on the video- the footage is actually from the 1929 silent German film "Pandora's Box," which is the second half of the "Lulu" Opera (yup...THAT Lulu for those of you who know).