Posted Nov 25th 2008 8:15PM by Jeffrey M. Anderson
Filed under: Drama, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews, New in Theaters, 20th Century Fox, Western, Nicole Kidman
With his previous feature film
Australian director Baz Luhrmann came within tasting distance of a Best Picture Oscar, as well as several other awards. Moulin Rouge! (2001) did win two, for Costume Design and Art Direction, but all the glory that year went to other things. He must have taken notes; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring cleaned up in the technical categories with four Oscars, and Black Hawk Down took two more. Two serious, disease-of-the-week dramas won in the "upper" categories: A Beautiful Mind and Iris. The following year, Luhrmann must have watched while the jaunty Chicago won Best Picture, and Roman Polanski won Best Director for his lengthy Holocaust drama, The Pianist.
So Luhrmann set out to work on his fourth film, Australia. Maybe it started out once, many years ago, as a 90-minute pop-Western about driving cattle and saving the farm. This entire section is bright and quick and exciting -- and lots of fun. But then perhaps he decided that that just wasn't enough, or at least it's not enough for anyone who wants to win a great big Best Director trophy. So at the 90-minute mark, Australia more or less stops, transforms itself into a giant-sized World War II drama, complete with grayness, dropping bombs and angel choruses, and keeps going for another interminable hour. But is it enough to fool Academy voters?
Continue reading Review: Australia
Posted Nov 20th 2008 10:02PM by Jeffrey M. Anderson
Filed under: Cinematical Seven, Nicole Kidman
The upcoming release of
Australia -- directed by Australian Baz Luhrmann, shot in Australia and starring Australian-born actor Hugh Jackman, and Australian-raised Nicole Kidman -- inspired me to take a look at the Australian film industry, thinking I could easily pick out seven highlights. Unfortunately for me, but fortunately for everyone else, Australian films are a much richer and more daunting prospect. I decided to stick to films shot in Australia by directors born there, thus eliminating things like Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout (1971). I also eliminated New Zealanders like Jane Campion and Peter Jackson, who deserve their own list. At the 11th hour, I had to eliminate such an obviously great film as Babe (1995); though it qualifies under my rule, the Hoggett's farm could actually be just about anywhere (it's more of a fairy tale world, and Australia is never mentioned). And no, Crocodile Dundee (1986) didn't make the cutoff, but here's what did:
The Road Warrior (1981, George Miller)
This movie represents everything that's badass about Australia. It opened there in 1981 as Mad Max 2, mainly because everyone had seen Mad Max (1979). Here, it opened a year later, in the summer of 1982, with the changed title, hoping that Americans could be tricked into thinking it wasn't a sequel. It didn't matter; this film is far starker, funnier and all-around better than the original. Rarely have the roar of engines mixed so well with the wide, empty, sun-baked dust of the outback. Miller was -- and still is -- one of the most interesting Down Under directors, but he works slowly and sporadically and stays out of the limelight. (In the thirty years since Mad Max, he has directed only seven feature films.) And Mel Gibson may have gone a little nuts lately, but we'll always love him for this.
Continue reading Cinematical Seven: Great Exports from Down Under
Posted Nov 13th 2008 4:32PM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Action, Drama, Romance, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Scripts, 20th Century Fox, Newsstand, War, Nicole Kidman
Well, that was cleared up quickly! Just the other day, I reported on rumors flying about the ending of
Australia, and claims that Fox had pressured its director,
Baz Luhrmann, to change it. Luhrmann quickly informed
The Sydney Morning Herald that the film's ending was entirely in his hands, bristling at the suggestion that it wasn't. "It's really simple: on a Baz Luhrmann film, I decide."
I'll fill in the spoilery blanks for you now -- rumors were that test audiences were quite appalled that Hugh Jackman's character, The Drover, died at the end of the film. Fox was certain that Jackman's tragic end spelled doom for the box office, but Luhrmann brushes off the rumors, calling them "naive" and "profoundly misinformed." He also points out that Fox would hardly have taken issue with The Drover's death, since they happily froze Leonardo DiCaprio in
Titanic, and we all know how that box office turned out.
It turns out, he filmed
three different endings and tested two -- one where Jackman lived, and one where he died. Audience reactions were the same for both endings, but he decided to choose the third, which remains a mystery to all but him and his cast. "There was always a struggle within me," he said. "There's the way
Titanic ends and there's the way
Gone With The Wind ends. It's neither of those. It's an ending specific to this moment and it's what I want the film to give out and what I need in my own life. It's what I want to feel. On that level, it's completely personal."
So, now you have it -- Luhrmann is firmly in control, we'll be delightfully surprised by the ending, and I may not have to watch The Drover die. Good news all around! (We won't talk about the fact that its reportedly
still not done ...)
Posted Nov 11th 2008 3:20PM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Action, Drama, Romance, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Scripts, 20th Century Fox, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, War, Nicole Kidman
I'm going to attempt to write this as spoiler free as possible, saddened that as a
Cinematical blogger, I inevitably ruin
every single movie for myself.
According to
The Guardian,
Baz Luhrmann was reportedly convinced to change the ending of
Australia after "intense discussions" with 20th Century Fox. Early test screenings were quite negative towards the original ending which is, apparently, quite a downer. Now, you'll save on Kleenex, because it's being rewritten for everyone to live happily ever after. (You're probably saying "Just say what the ending is, it's not a spoiler if it's changed!" but I don't want to take the risk. Please don't blab it in the comments, either.)
Over at
Rope of Silicon, they say Fox insists Luhrmann has the final cut, and his vision is being respected. If the ending has been changed, it's because
he wanted to change it. So there's both sides, and I guess we'll be able to put two and two together after we see the film. To add a little extra credence to this story, the fact that
The Australian was reporting as of Halloween that the film
still wasn't done suggests the ending could be one of the final difficulties.
The Guardian only mentions a rewrite, and not a reshoot, so let's hope they filmed some alternate versions in order to avoid further delay. Now that I've lost
The Road, I'm counting on The Drover to brighten up Thanksgiving weekend.
A few new images from the film were also just released, and we've added them to our brand new
Australia gallery below. The ending might be changed, but she certainly is a beauty to look at.
Posted Nov 4th 2008 6:03PM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Action, Drama, Romance, 20th Century Fox, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Movie Marketing, Images, War, Nicole Kidman
There's a bunch of new
Australia photos over on the
New York Times' website and, as usual, they are jaw-dropping and gorgeous. If you're a history and costume nerd like I am, you'll love this little feature, as the film's costume designer
Catherine Martin elaborates on the authenticity and art behind some of the outfits. If you can tear your eyes away from
Hugh Jackman's biceps, you might like to learn all about the shirt and belts encasing his ridiculously impressive frame. Says Ms. Martin: "The T-shirt he is wearing is, in fact, a shearer's shirt, a traditional shirt that has been in that style since the late 19th century. These are very traditional, classic Australian clothes, as is the plaited belt. Most of the stockmen made their own leather goods around the campfire. The second, so-called hobble belt is used to tie together the legs of horses to keep them from wandering off. The pants are the equivalent of Australian jeans. They are made from moleskin, and weirdly, in Australia, we wear it with the furry side in."
Moleskin facts aside, I can't get over the production value. Even the costume stills have been tweaked to look like they're from the 1940s. There doesn't seem to be a single area of this film that they haven't lavished an incredible amount of work and detail on. Let's hope the story and the script are as up to snuff!
Australia opens November 26th.
Posted Oct 1st 2008 9:02AM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Action, Drama, Romance, 20th Century Fox, Newsstand, Movie Marketing, War, Nicole Kidman, Trailers and Clips
The release date of
Australia is a mere month away, yet there's been little in the way of promotion for it. A few posters, a new release date, a few interviews with
Hugh Jackman and
Nicole Kidman -- that's it. While this
could spell a lack of confidence, I think it's largely due to the fact that Baz Luhrmann was still tinkering with the film
as of August.
But at last, there is a new trailer,
courtesy of MSN, but sans embed code. It's an odd trailer. It starts off in a style that's quite contemporary, both in the cinematography and the music, and then shifts into the style (complete with choir) that one normally associates with an epic period piece. And while
I know that Kidman and Jackman fight off an evil cattle baron and the Japanese invasion, little of that plot comes through. But it certainly looks beautiful, sweeping, romantic (love the peek at the love scenes), and exciting .... and maybe, just maybe, that's enough. Well, that and the shot of Jackman about 30 seconds in ....
Australia hits theatres November 26th, 2008.
Posted Sep 11th 2008 1:45PM by Christopher Campbell
Filed under: Box Office, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman
In the last few years,
Nicole Kidman has starred in a number of movies that underperformed at the box office, but last year's disappointing grosses for
The Interpreter The Invasion,
The Golden Compass and even
Margot at the Wedding likely contributed to her
being named the least bankable actor in Hollywood by
Forbes magazine. Apparently, given her exorbitant asking price,
Forbes estimates her movies only earn, on average, as much from ticket sales as she earns for appearing in them. This is a major drop compared to last year, when Kidman's films were estimated to gross $8 for every $1 she's paid.
After Kidman,
Forbes names
Jennifer Garner, whose '07 films
The Kingdom and
Catch and Release did poorly enough that the runaway success of
Juno couldn't help her ranking. On average her films grossed $3.60 for every $1 she took home. In third place, not surprisingly, is Kidman's ex,
Tom Cruise, who bombed big time with
Lions for Lambs last year. Others making the list of most overpaid actors include
Nicolas Cage,
Drew Barrymore,
Cameron Diaz,
Jim Carrey,
Cate Blanchett and
Will Ferrell. Meanwhile,
Russell Crowe, who topped the list last year, is considered more fairly paid this year thanks to the success of
American Gangster.
Such fluctuations in actors' bankability only continues the debate regarding the importance of movie stars these days. Certainly all the names on
Forbes' list are big names who occasionally headline blockbuster hits, but are they actually significant to moviegoers' attraction to a movie? Apparently not.
So, which actor do you think is most in need of a major reality check before his or her next major paycheck?
Posted Aug 29th 2008 12:33PM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Drama, Romance, Distribution, 20th Century Fox, Newsstand, War, Nicole Kidman
All the movie studios are just hellbent on messing with my fall season.
Australia is the latest movie to get the old switch-a-roo, as
Variety reports that Fox is moving its release date from November 14 down to November 26. I know, it's only a matter of weeks, but it's just the principle of the thing. And it's now pitted against
The Road, forcing me to chose which one to see opening day. I don't need that kind of stress, particularly on Thanksgiving which isn't exactly the most relaxing of holidays.
The delay is apparently the result of director
Baz Luhrmann needing some extra time to polish the film. He brought everyone back for some pick-up shots, which explains the paparazzi shots I've seen of
Hugh Jackman riding around Oz in full drover gear. I thought he just did that sort of thing all the time.
The fact that
Australia's delay means it now neatly dodges the release of
Quantum of Solace is, I'm sure, mere coincidence. I suspect we'll see more November rearranging --
Variety is reporting that
The Time Traveler's Wife is also coming out on the 26th, though IMDB is still showing a Christmas release. If
Variety is right (and why wouldn't it be?), I wouldn't be surprised if it ran to the 14th to steer clear of competing with another romance. Plus, I just don't think America could handle
Viggo Mortensen,
Hugh Jackman, and
Eric Bana all having a movie out on the same day -- not when us girls are supposed to be home making pumpkin pies and turkey.
Posted Aug 21st 2008 7:33PM by William Goss
Filed under: Action, Animation, Comedy, Drama, Thrillers, Sony, Universal, RumorMonger, Distribution, 20th Century Fox, Family Films, Dreamworks, James Bond, Harry Potter, Remakes and Sequels, Nicole Kidman
In what appears to be part of a most thorough campaign to botch Entertainment Weekly's Fall Movie Preview, a recent press release wholly admits that the North American opening of the 22nd James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, back from November 7th to the 14th marks an effort to capitalize on last week's sudden Harry Potter shift.
Although the removal of the 007th from any coming marketing blitz sure is a shame, it does place this film closer to the release of its predecessor, Casino Royale, which opened on November 17, 2006 to the tune of almost $600 million worldwide. Solace will still premiere in the United Kingdom on October 31.
For those keeping track at home, this now leaves Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and the just now shifted Paul Rudd comedy Role Models on November 7th, and the 14th is now between Bond, Baz Luhrmann's epic drama Australia, and Bernie Mac's final film, Soul Men.
Now, think fast! When does Something of Boris open again?!
Posted Aug 20th 2008 1:32PM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Drama, Romance, 20th Century Fox, Movie Marketing, Images, War, Nicole Kidman, Posters
Three new posters for Baz Luhrmann's
Australia have hit the net -- and they are predictably lush, romantic, and easy on the eyes. Why, they even leave some room for interpretation! See if you can find the connection between Hugh Jackman and fire, dear readers. The other two are after the jump, and all three are clickable for larger versions.
And if you haven't already, be sure to visit
the official site and check out the gallery and the podcast series. They have ones on cinematography up now, and if nothing else, the film is going to be top notch in that department. I'm trying not to raise my expectations too high, but every new glimpse I get just leaves me really excited for November, and certain that it will be as breathtaking as I want it to be.
Australia opens November 14, 2008.
Continue reading Three Dazzling New Posters for 'Australia'
Posted Aug 1st 2008 5:02PM by Jessica Barnes
Filed under: Drama, Romance, 20th Century Fox, Movie Marketing, Images, Nicole Kidman
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Ladies (and gentlemen), start your drooling.
Entertainment Weekly has
two new photos from
Baz Luhrmann's romantic epic
Australia, and if the photo to your right is any indication; this is going to be one sexy flick. Back in June the film was the subject of a photo shoot for
Vogue, and those
images were stunning (and pretty romantic). This latest photo, though, has a little more carnality on the brain. Mind you, I'm not complaining; anything that facilitates a half-naked
Hugh Jackman is okay by me.
News about the film has been pretty scarce, but we do know that
Stuart Beattie's (
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra) script centers on an English lady (
Nicole Kidman) left in control of a cattle station in Australia during WWII. When a
drover (played by Jackman) shows up to help her bring the cattle across the country, their relationship becomes something more -- and judging from that photo, there's going to be
a lot more.
Its been a bumpy road for Luhrmann's epic; there have been
casting changes, and the occasional
act of god. But don't feel bad, the film also has a lot of things going for it: namely that epic romances sell, especially during Oscar season.
Australia will arrive in theaters on November 14th, 2008.
Now it's your turn, do you think
Australia could be the landlubber's
Titanic at the box-office this fall? Sound off below...
Posted Jul 22nd 2008 9:02PM by Jeffrey M. Anderson
Filed under: Fandom, Cinematical Seven, Nicole Kidman
Occasionally Hollywood cobbles together random members of the A-list to play family members on film, even if their genes obviously come from opposite ends of the earth. If the actors are good enough or if the chemistry is there, sometimes the combo can work, such as Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman as brothers in
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead or Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor in Cassandra's Dream. Other times, it stretches credibility, such as Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman in The Darjeeling Limited. My all-time favorite oddball casting is in Sidney Lumet's Family Business (1989), with Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman and Matthew Broderick playing grandfather, father and son. (Huh?) At the same time, there are actor combos out there who just scream to be paired up in a family capacity. Remember Julia Roberts and Kyra Sedgwick in Something to Talk About? Well, neither do I, but that pairing was perfect. Here are a few others that could work:
1. Helen Hunt & Leelee Sobieski
They're so similar it's spooky, from their hair and foreheads, right down to the tonal quality of their voices. Anybody check the hospital records for mixed-up babies? (Helen is about 20 years older.) Not too long ago, both careers hit a peak: Helen won an Oscar while Leelee was working with Stanley Kubrick and playing Joan of Arc on TV. Now they're both in decline. For some reason, whenever Helen's name comes up, I hear "I HATE Helen Hunt!" And Leelee's last movie was for Uwe Boll. Now would be the perfect time for these two to team up in a mother-daughter drama. If they cooked up something along the lines of
Terms of Endearment, with a good, solid writer and/or director, it could be interesting. Or better yet, how about something really strange and kooky with Spike Jonze or Harmony Korine? (Note: apparently the two once went head-to-head on "Celebrity Death Match.")
Continue reading Cinematical Seven: Actors Who Could Play Siblings, etc.
Posted Jun 19th 2008 12:35PM by Christopher Campbell
Filed under: Drama, Awards, 20th Century Fox, Oscar Watch, Cinematical Indie, War, Nicole Kidman
I guess we won't be seeing the first female President of the United States in 2009, but we could at least see the first female cinematographer nominated for an Academy Award (in the cinematography category, that is). In the 80 years of the Oscars there hasn't been one female nominee for Best Cinematography. Shocking, isn't it? But fortunately there's a chance for next year's ceremony
: Mandy Walker, who shot Baz Luhrman's war epic
Australia, could be a shoo-in for one of the five nomination slots if the film is Oscar-worthy in general.
The Oscar blog
In Contention points out the possibility
in a recent post celebrating Walker's reception Tuesday evening of the Kodak Vision Award at the Women in Film's
Crystal + Lucy Awards (other honorees included
Salma Hayek,
Sherry Lansing,
Ginnifer Goodwin,
Jeffrey Katzenberg and
Diane English and the ensemble of
The Women). Clearly we only need to look at
the trailer to see that Walker's work on the film is gorgeous and might have a shot.
In Contention also notes Walker's previous achievements, such as her Independent Spirit Award nomination for
Shattered Glass.
Continue reading Why Baz Luhrman's 'Australia' Needs to Be Oscar-Worthy
Posted Jun 19th 2008 11:01AM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Drama, Romance, 20th Century Fox, Newsstand, Images, War, Nicole Kidman
Some new
Australia photos have come by way of a
Vogue photoshoot, shot by the legendary Annie Leibovitz -- and they are just the most gorgeous thing outside of the actual film. Normally, I wouldn't post a
Vogue item as they hardly need a write-up, but as news on this film is rather scarce, I think it deserves a mention. Plus, everything about this film (even when by way of Leibovitz) is so ridiculously beautiful that I can't resist sharing what I find.
The photos accompany a Nicole Kidman interview about the film which is full of interesting tidbits. There are no spoilers for the wary, just a few more plot and character details. This is one of my most anticipated films of the year -- and
as Christopher mentioned earlier, one that is already generating some Oscar buzz for Mandy Walker's cinematography. I'm nominating it for costumes as well -- such crisp lines!
Australia opens November 14th, 2008.
[via
Dlisted,
IESB, and Vogue]
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I am as belated in posting this as 
