saw: australia
Baz Luhrmann tempers his more pop-operatic impulses to present some simulacrum of an Old Hollywood historical epic; only, denuded of the director's typical flourishes, the safety-scissors tearjerker exhibits more pastiche than sweep. There are lyrical bits and pieces but they mostly resonate because they suggest better films. On its own, Australia is eventful but seldom impactful—the picturesque portrait of middlebrow entertainment. And maybe it's just me—and as pretty as they individually are—but Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman have about as much chemistry as an ostrich and a giraffe. Grade: B