http://newcritics.disqus.com/the best in web criticismenMon, 05 Jan 2009 10:39:13 -0000http://newcritics.com/blog1/2008/12/27/the-undiscovered-country/#comment-4893053<p>Just my $.02 but I saw Australia this weekend, and, to tell the truth, I'm amazed that a film that takes so much time telling one of the most banal tales ever filmed even got financing.</p><p>This coulda been a John Wayne studio western--rough trade ranch hand and snooty upper crust dame drive a heard of cattle across the desert w/ the predictable romance ensuing (and despite the best efforts of a villan so formal he could be twirling his moustache ends tho' you're right, it's two John Wayne studio movies--it's also a war pic). It would have been a predictable, trite piece of subfluff in 1951 (complete w/ its "big theme" subtext of racial tolerance).</p><p>Characters? Ha. Archetypes slapped into place to fill their formal roles so thinly drawn that the male lead has a job title not a name. Now, I don't have anything against genre fiction, but this is genre fiction at it's most unimaginative and rote. Whatever appeal this movie has, I don't understand it.</p>Jason_ChervokasMon, 05 Jan 2009 10:39:13 -0000