Taking The Movies Down Under
There’s is something bracingly retro about the upcoming “Australia,” a World War Two epic starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. The picture, which will be released in November, is billed as “Gone with the Wind” set Down Under, but it looks more like a mixture of “Out of Africa” and an epic American Western. Its stars are both very glamorous screen presences, but it seems like ages since either of them had an onscreen hit. And I have my doubts that this project will connect in a big way with audiences worldwide. Also, there’s something a little hollow about the fact the movie is being used as a vehicle for Australian tourist officials to promote their country. They’re hoping the film will revive Australia’s tourism the way “Lord of the Rings” gave a jolt to New Zealand’s. We’ll see. Meanwhile, there’s something odd and un-romantic about this movie still — as if Jackman’s petting Kidman like a prize greyhound.
