AdventureRomanceDrama

Australia

- Welcome to Australia!

Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin by Japanese forces firsthand.

Release Date : 2008-11-18

Language :JapaneseEnglishMandarin

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Bazmark20th Century FoxDune EntertainmentIngenious Film Partners

Production Country : AustraliaUnited KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Lady Sarah Ashley

Original Name : Nicole Kidman

Gender : Female

Character Name : The Drover

Original Name : Hugh Jackman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Katherine

Original Name : Essie Davis

Gender : Female

Character Name : Neil Fletcher

Original Name : David Wenham

Gender : Male

Character Name : King Carney

Original Name : Bryan Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : King George

Original Name : David Gulpilil

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sergeant

Original Name : John Jarratt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carney Boy

Original Name : Shea Adams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carney Boy

Original Name : Nathin Art Butler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carney Boy

Original Name : John Walton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carney Boy

Original Name : Nigel Harbach

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bull

Original Name : Eddie Baroo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Father Benedict

Original Name : Arthur Dignam

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gloria Carney

Original Name : Sandy Gore

Gender : Female

Character Name : Skipper (Qantas Sloop)

Original Name : Bill Hunter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ivan

Original Name : Jacek Koman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Captain Dutton

Original Name : Ben Mendelsohn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Administrator Allsop

Original Name : Barry Otto

Gender : Male

Character Name : Magarri

Original Name : David Ngoombujarra

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Barker

Original Name : Bruce Spence

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kipling Flynn

Original Name : Jack Thompson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sing Song

Original Name : 元華

Gender : Male

Character Name : Myrtle Allsop

Original Name : Kerry Walker

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ramsden

Original Name : Ray Barrett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mission Boy

Original Name : Jamal Sydney Bednarz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sergeant Callahan

Original Name : Tony Barry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Daisy

Original Name : Ursula Yovich

Gender : Female

Character Name : Nullah

Original Name : Brandon Walters

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brother Frank

Original Name : Matthew Whittet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bandy Legs

Original Name : Lillian Crombie

Gender : Female

Character Name : Old Drunk

Original Name : Max Cullen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Essential Services Woman

Original Name : Haidee Gaudry

Gender : Female

Character Name : Porter (Wharf)

Original Name : Jamie Gulpilil

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lady Sarah's Butler

Original Name : Peter Gwynne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carney Manservant

Original Name : Jimmy Hong

Gender : Male

Character Name : Goolaj

Original Name : Angus Pilakui

Gender : Male

Character Name : Darwin Policeman

Original Name : Adam McMonigal

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ball Guest

Original Name : Robin Queree

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stockman

Original Name : Mark Rathbone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Aboriginal Tracker

Original Name : Crusoe Kurddal

Gender : Male

Character Name : Flying Boat Passenger Child

Original Name : Siena Larsson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Evacuee Mother (uncredited)

Original Name : Danielle Carey

Gender : Female

Character Name : Maitland Ashley (uncredited)

Original Name : Anton Monsted

Gender : Male

Character Name : Drover / Guest / Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : William Gabriel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Firefighter (uncredited)

Original Name : Chris Polzot

Gender : Male

Character Name : Constable #1

Original Name : Damian Bradford

Gender : Male

Character Name : Waiter

Original Name : Eugene Kang

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

King George angry at them white fellas. King George say them white fella bad spirit. Must be taken from this land. Australia is directed by Baz Luhrmann and Luhrmann co-writes the screenplay with Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood, and Richard Flanagan. It stars Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Bryan Brown and Brandon Walters. It took a bit of a kicking from the pro critics upon release, where the consensus is that at a cost of $130 million this intended sprawling epic is an ambitious flop. For the record at the box office it practically made double its outlay, so certainly wasn't a financial flop. It's a mixed bag for sure, a film of two differing halves. First half sends Kidman's English aristocrat to Northern Australia after she inherits the sprawling Faraway Downs Ranch. Here she finds herself in the middle of a dirty take over plot and reluctantly makes a working pact with Jackman's stock-man Drover. Seeds are sewn here for a bit of a screwball relationship, all while a cattle feud brews and the Aborigines at the ranch - particularly young Nulllah (Walters) - are in fear of racial tension. Pic then flip-flops into a love story, a war story (as the Japanese attack Darwin) and the bile strewn historical strand that features the "stolen generations" of half-white/half-Aboriginal children. With all this going on, as Lurhman nods to classic epics from classic era past, the vistas are stunning and the hard work of cattle ranching is given genuine credence (helps having the rugged Jackman leading the way). Set pieces are exciting, the Japanese aerial attacks realistic for dramatic worth, while the chemistry between the leads, a worthy child performance from Walters and a quality weasel villain turn from Wenham ensure performances don't harm the pic in that department. There's even the likes of Ben Mendelsohn and John Jarratt in secondary support slots. It isn't all it can be, and tonally it feels like there might have been some behind the scenes interference (three co-writers probably didn't help). Yet there are some genuine moments of fun and beauty here, mixed with some heart string tugs and reflection of an historical time that should never ne forgotten. Luhrman reached for "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and didn't quite make it, but it's honourable and has some damn fine craft for entertainment purpose. 7/10