At a time when film critics are busy compiling lists of the films they fanatically adored or severely detested over the last year, I’m here to point out 5 films where I think the critical masses got it all wrong. These are the five films of 2008 that I believe most critics simply didn’t “get”; possibly because they approached the films with the wrong mindset or because they failed to see the rose a top of the thorns.
So before you omit the following five films from your memory of 2008, or let them float off into the abyss of films you may never see, read on to hear why I think you should consider giving them the chance they deserve.
RT Average: 53%
RT Consensus:
“Built on lavish vistas and impeccable production, Australia is unfortunately burdened with thinly drawn characters and a lack of originality.”
Synopsis:
Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand. (IMDB)
Why is it on the list?
It was to be the film that would revitalise the economy, bring forth a flood of wealthy tourists, take home an army of golden statues at the Oscars and initiate the second coming of Jesus. Ok, maybe not the last part. But there is no denying that Australia and its director Baz Luhrmann had the weight of the nation on its shoulders. Consequently, when it bombed at the box office and was met with hugely mixed reviews, it was quickly labelled as one of the biggest disappointments of the year, if not the decade. Come on now, is it really that bad? More to the point, is it bad at all? I’m starting to wonder if critics were actually expecting Jesus to have a cameo appearance.
It is true Australia wasn’t the masterpiece we all naively came to expect. Yet Australia is still a vastly enjoyable film that didn’t deserve the poor box office sales it received. The cinematography is breathtaking, the cast is fantastic and the story is splendidly clichéd. Yes, you heard me, splendidly clichéd. The remarkable thing about Australia is that, like the runt puppy of a litter, it’s strangely likeable for its flaws. It’s overlong, overdone, overindulgent and completely passé. Yet from the get-go, it never tries to be anything but. It actually makes a an effort to be all of the above. Somehow, like an expensive soap-opera, it succeeds in doing so stylishly. It’s a sumptuous cinematic experience that shouldn’t be missed.
Who else saw the light?
Actually, quite a lot of people did. The reviews for the film were a more diverse bunch than the actual population of Australia. That being said, it’s always the negative reviews that take the spotlight. After all, the masses take more satisfaction in reading about something labelled ‘a giant waste of money’ than they do a ‘success’.
Megan Lehmann, in a review for The Hollywood Reporter, summed up Australia perfectly:
“Australia defies all but the most cynical not to get carried away by the force of its grandiose imagery and storytelling.”
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