The first is Australia, Baz Luhrmann's oft-maligned antipodean epic. I can only say poor Baz was the victim of some incredibly near-sighted tall poppy syndrome style attack for:
a) daring to make an Australian blockbuster;
b) striving for global success with said film; and
c) naming his film after an entire country as if representative of it.
So when I went into the cinema, to sate curiosity as much as for business purposes (I was then the editor of an export magazine and since Baz had stitched up a deal with Tourism Australia it seemed relevant), I was expecting drivel.
Well. There's a lot to be said about exceeding low expectations, but leaving aside that factor, I found Australia to be entertaining, well cast, suitably action-packed, dramatic and, above all, beautifully shot. I even liked Nicole Kidman's performance, which says a lot.
[Nullah's mother has just died]
Lady Sarah Ashley: Nullah, I wanted to extend my condolences...
Nullah: Go away.
The press went for the jugular and all I heard was disparaging comments about it. I believe even Kidman said she was "embarassed" by it. And yet... every time I talk to someone who has seen it, there's applause in their response. So it seems most of the negativity came from people who didn't even see it. This may be a case of 'leave your prejudice at the door'; if you actually saw the film, you'd probably like it.
I should probably note at this point that yes, Baz does go over the top. That's what he does. Expecting a subdued thinkpiece from Baz Luhrmann is like waiting for Richard Wilkins to say something sensible—if it happens it'll be a complete surprise, but don't hold your breath. But Australia is much deserving of the Baz OTT treatment: after all, it's about Indigenous relations, the droving lifestyle over big country, death, war and love—who'd want to belittle any of those themes?
The other movie I'll represent is The Beach, based on the Alex Garland novel of the same name. Not only is the film a great interpretation of the book, despite two main characters changing nationality from English to American and American to English, it is also well cast and beautifully shot.
Leaving aside any negative impact the film reportedly had on Thailand's beaches, where it was shot, Danny Boyle (before I really knew who he was—I admit I didn't really care for Trainspotting) did a fine job of treading the line between paradise and dystopia that Garland so carefully crafted in his novel.
The result was an accessible movie with some pretty dark themes. I can only say a lot of people hated it because Leo DiCaprio played a naive yet confident backpacker who had more gritty determination in him than even he knew, rather than another Jack from Titanic. Maybe it was marketed wrong. I'm not sure. Anyway, it's bloody good.
Day 11 - How often do you go to the cinema (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
Day 12 - What’s the last film you saw in the cinema?
Day 13 - What’s your favourite/preferred genre of film?
Day 14 - What’s the first film you remember seeing in the cinema?
Day 15 - What film do you wish you had never seen?
Day 16 - What is the scariest film you’ve seen?
Day 17 - If you could be any character portrayed in a movie, who would it be?
Day 18 - Favourite movie hero?
Day 19 - Favourite movie villain?
Day 20 - Favourite movie adaptation (from book, play, musical, graphic novel etc)?
Day 21 - Favourite movie quote?
Day 22 - Favourite documentary?
Day 23 - Favourite director?
Day 24 - Favourite sequel?
Day 25 - Favourite movie franchise/series?
Day 26 - Popcorn?
Day 27 - Total number of films you own on DVD and video.
Day 28 - Last film you bought.
Day 29 - Last film you watched.
Day 30 - Five films that mean a lot to you.
Twenty-one categories of this meme are from Books and Movies and Wordsmithsonia. The rest of the categories are my own creation.
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