Movie #42 - Australia

Australia
Twentieth Century Fox
2008 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 45 min
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham

Back to the A's!

This was my second watch of Baz Luhrmann's epic tribute to Down Under. The first time I saw it, I remember thinking "Wow! How many times can they end this movie?" It could've been because I was preggo and uncomfortable sitting for so long.

This time, I found a new appreciation for this film. I really saw what Luhrmann was trying to do - present an epic tale in the style of early cinema about his beloved home country. I saw elements of Gone with the Wind or Lawrence of Arabia. He was telling a story here, one based on people with real problems at a pivotal time. The movie continues until that story has been told. In this case, we're really following the young half white / half Aboriginal boy Nullah. The action, adventure, and romance are all the backdrop for what is really his journey to acceptance. It's beautifully told and very compelling. I hate when people describe films as compelling (it's like calling modern art "avant garde") but this one really did compel me. I promise.

Definitely worth the watch, even though it is a bit long.

Movie #10 - 300

300
Warner Bros Pictures
2007 - Rated R - 1 hr 56 min
Director: Zack Snyder
Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West

While Gerard Butler makes some fantastic eye candy, that's not the only reason I love this movie. It's fun to watch, the action is visually interesting, and the blood and gore are impressive (I love some good blood and gore once in a while). What also impresses me about this movie is how cinematically interesting it is. It looks like the comic on which it's based, which is artistically speaking pretty cool.

As for its accuracy, I can't really speak to either the comic book or the history it's based on. Haven't read the comic and I'm not Mike, so you got me if it's accurate. From what I hear, it's not bad. But I've got some questions about certain aspects of this movie...

1. Was Xerxes really an ancestor of Ru Paul?
2. Did all Spartans have six-pack abs?
3. Could they really fight dressed like that, without any armor at all?
4. Why on earth would they listen to some drunken teenage girls about prophecy?

I guess that about sums it up. Great, fun movie to watch. Just don't think too hard about it.