4. Australia (2008)
It has been 5 years since Luhrmann's latest directorial effort, the sweeping but overlong historical romance, Australia. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous World War II era in his home continent, Luhrmann attempts to depict a captivating romance that blooms involving a wealthy British landowner (Nicole Kidman) and a stubborn cattle herder (Hugh Jackman). While the film succeeds in capturing a feel for the times with only the deft skill that Luhrmann's film-making abilities can provide, it does lack a real direction in where the story and characters are going. At nearly 3 hours, the film is heavily weighted down by dreary sub plots surrounding the leads that makes for a very long and labored movie watching experience. As a passion piece for the native from Down Under, Luhrmann definitely has his cards on the table, and he does manage to show off his usual visual flair and editing style with panache in a few choice sequences in the film. Australia however is by far the lesser of his filmography, and although his passion shows on screen for his material, it ultimately seems aimless and dull. Add to the film a large subplot involving native Aboriginals shown in a negative light, and it is no surprise that this film left a bad taste in the mouth of even the proudest Australian. It is however to this day one of the highest grossing movies of all time in Australian cinemas.