I have always been a sucker for dramas set against Australia (I am a Yank), and this one does not disappoint. Led by top-shelf work by Kidman and Jackman, the movie has sweep, romance, excitement and a bit of mysticism. World War 2 has inspired some of the great films of the last half-century and this can emphatically be added to the list. Can it veer a bit towards melodrama, schmaltz and corn? Yes-but what great romantic epic does not? It pays homage to the great romantic war films while adding a dose of Baz's own quirkiness that keeps one from feeling they are seeing merely a facsimile. This kind of film is why they build movie theatres.
Review of Australia
