Oh no! Australia (the film) is a soppy romance cum western with pretentions of being a movie about race relations in Australia (the country). But one can’t help but wonder why the entire Aboriginal cast play second fiddle to not just the gorgeous (and beautifully photographed) scenery but to every white cast member too. Even the child who the (ridiculous) story centers around has less screen time than the kangaroos, which turn up everywhere by the way.
I enjoyed this film, but only because it was camp, silly and easy going in a matinee movie kind of style. Formulaic, but not to a fault; everyone is a stereotype, each curve of the story arc is familiar, it’s comfortable and unchallenging even when the ugliness of racism raises its head.
