Solace of Australia

[amandapage]

Although "Quantum of Solace" is still playing at my local theatre, "Australia" isn't, it left just this past Thursday. Both of these movies fall under my classification of "movies that will lose visual impact once on the small screen", so we went hunting through the listings. Turned out, both movies were playing at the Towne Stadium 16, which

Comments

[kicking_k]

This has made me want to go and see "Australia" (not yet out here). Although I like Jackman, I've only really seen him being Wolverine, and the film's being marketed here as an Australian "Gone With the Wind", which wouldn't really be up my street.

If we go, I will make sure to watch out for the things you mention!

The only big Australian film I've seen was "Rabbit-Proof Fence" - again, about the Stolen Generations. So terribly sad. The epilogue voiceover just broke my heart.

[amandapage]

If you want your heartbroken again, listen to Archie Roach's song, They Took the Children Away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjx7X35cMkA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_Roach is his bio. He was one of the Stolen Generation, as he sings. It hurt me to know that as much as I railed against apartheid when I learned about it in high school, that my country was perpetrating similar evils.

[crickwooder]

My best memory of the Towne 16 was when it was the Towne 24, and my friend Marc and I went to see Regarding Henry. It was toward the end of its run so it was in the old part of the building with two other ending-soon movies, Naked Gun 2 1/2 and Mystery Date. Why do I remember this? Because on the approach to this section, they had a marquee:

DATE

NAKED

HENRY

Which has nothing whatsoever to your post, but I felt the need to share. I need to get out to see Daniel Craig as well, ASAP.

[amandapage]

Hee. Date Naked Henry. Ta!

[columbina]

Everybody I saw Q of S with completely missed the fuel cells but me. I said, "Well, you knew the whole thing was going to blow up long before it happened because otherwise why would they bother to mention the fuel cells?" They were like, "Fuel cells? When were there fuel cells?"

I think this proves that you and I are the only two people who actually listen to the dialogue in a Bond film. Mind you, at least at the theatre where we saw it, the dialogue was so muddy in the sound mix that it was a wonder anyone could understand any of it.

[amandapage]

Huh. For me it couldn't have been telegraphed more if it was written down and handed to me in an actual telegraph.

[hnpcc]

Have you read Germaine Greer's criticism of Australia? I haven't seen the movie, so aren't sure what to think of her points.

I don't know. A lot of the responses that I've seen to her article are along the lines of "it's not history, it's a movie" - but that didn't stop the criticism of Pearl Harbor (which was also a very ordinary movie. IMHO, naturally!)

Then again, everyone and their dog seems to be a movie critic these days...

[amandapage]

I more agree with this review http://postbourgie.com/2008/12/01/ballad-of-the-magical-half-negro-by-baz-luhrmann/

It's definitely not a perfect movie, and I definitely don't expect history from a Baz Luhrmann flick. He tends to mash things up pretty well (see Moulin Rouge, which I also enjoyed), so anachronisms and geographic distortions are only to be expected. I've not seen Pearl Harbor, but I suspect my objections to that would be more along the it appears to be trite shite rather than any historic objections.

I did have a jarring moment, when they kep using the word "creamy" to describe the mixed race aboriginal/white children. I've never heard that usage, and I grew up in a town dubbed by Today Tonight as one of the most racist towns in Australia. Have you heard it?

[hnpcc]

"Creamy"?! Nope, never heard or read that one. While I didn't grow up anywhere visited by Today Tonight (thank God), I was in a town with a reasonably large aboriginal population and I think I heard pretty much all the words going. Even from reading contemporary documents I don't think I've come across that. Sounds like a Baz-ism.

Actually, the more I think about it the more creeped out by it I am. And I'm wondering what word exactly he replaced. Then again, maybe it's a Top End thing. Except never written down or anything. Which seems unlikely.

Oh I dunno. I'll probably end up seeing Australia on DVD at some stage. I just wish it had an interval or something at the cinema!