The Reluctant Whore

Speaking of blog posts based on short youtube clips, here’s the preview to Baz Luhrmann’s newest film project entitled “Australia” which stars Nicole Kidman. The film doesn’t come out until November but we still get the preview now – just to get us worked up.

This is an interesting move on Baz Luhrmann’s behalf because ultimately, Australia punishes its successful celebrities who leave the country by trashing them for years until they come back as either bigger celebs or they come back and act like they love Australia again. It’s only when they get to be much bigger celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe that they’re liked again no matter what. So, I wonder how Australia will take a film called Australia by Baz Luhrmann. Nicole Kidman even uses her original voice for the film. I wonder how expensive it was for her to get back to that place…psychologically.

Actually, he’s big enough to be considered an international celebrity who is more or less beyond Australia’s tall poppy syndrome lashing out but if Australia feels for even one minute moment that it can’t feel like it owns the film in some way it will trash him relentlessly. Australia can sometimes act a little like a petulant b list celebrity pulling rank in line at a club. Ultimately though, Baz Luhrmann’s work is far more about the visuals than anything else so as long as there’s plenty of footage of the outback and sheep Australia should be fine. You aren’t allowed to forget the plight of the farmers and land battlers. They’re the real heroes.