Australia

Australia is a poorly conceived film that tries to journey in so many directions it never finds its way.

It would seem the original idea was to dramatize the bombing of Darwin by Japanese forces in February 1942, but that alone is not enough to build a picture on. Thus, it also provides a social commentary on the government’s policy of rounding up Aboriginal children of mixed-race and forcing these “stolen generations” to live as whites. Of course, no one would pay good money to see a film about either of these minor footnotes to history, so an unconvincing love story has been thrown in clearly as an afterthought.

When English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) arrives Down Under to find her husband murdered, she quickly learns that cattle baron King Carney (Bryan Brown) is plotting to steal her land. In order to save her ranch, she reluctantly hires a nameless cowboy known only as The Drover (Hugh Jackman) to help her drive 1,500 cattle across the Outback.

As the prissy noblewoman, Kidman’s unexceptional performance comes off as annoying, while “Sexiest Man Alive” Jackman is as rugged as the unforgiving landscape and outshines his co-star at every turn. It is obvious from the outset that these two antagonists will ultimately fall in love, but the leads are unable to project any chemistry between them whatsoever.

The supporting cast is mediocre at best, with Brown given little screen time and David Wenham as his henchman unpolished. The true star of the film is the adorable Brandon Walters, who plays a part-Aboriginal child named Nullah -- as Australia’s narrator, it is through his innocent eyes the story evolves like a fairytale.

Director Baz Luhrmann, whose last effort was the quirky Moulin Rouge and who this time around also serves as co-writer and co-producer, clearly set out to create an homage to his homeland. But he has woven so many elements into the script it seems as if he cannot decide if the film is a comedy, a western, a romance, or an adventure.

And, while Australia is known for its stunning beauty, there is little to be seen. The Northern Territory setting is so dusty and barren anyone should think twice about visiting this wasteland – not a grain of its famous red earth is to be found, and only in one contrived scene do we even see a kangaroo. In the hands of cinematographer Mandy Walker, many exterior shots are so poorly lit they appear to have been filmed in a studio, and the stampede scene is so phony-looking it was clearly done with bluescreen.

The film’s frequent self-comparison to The Wizard of Oz is, at first, innovative, but quickly becomes tiresome by relying far too heavily on the “Over the Rainbow” tune, which incessantly punctuates David Hirschfelder’s unimaginative score. Thankfully, the costumes and production design by Catherine Martin are top-notch, with the Darwin of the period faithfully recreated.

While Australia attempts to be an epic with grand themes and sweeping visuals, it fails to deliver an engrossing experience. Only mildly rousing and passionate, its moments of triumph are yawn-inducing and its moments of tragedy are unmoving. With its inevitable happy ending, the clichéd story offers no surprises and suggests Kidman and Jackman, who signed on to the film without reading the script, should think twice next time they choose a project. Rating: 5 out of 10.