Posts Tagged ‘Nicole Kidman’
Always a worrying sign, when a studio places an embargo on critics at the world’s first screening of a film, as happened with Australia (2008) – the inevitable question is: ‘So, does 20th Century Fox know something really bad that we don’t?’
Unfortunately, it would appear that the answer is pretty much in the affirmative. Baz Luhrmann is a director who has split audiences and critics alike down the years – the pro-votes tend to veer towards his sublime Romeo and Juliet (1996) (well, I say sublime but Colin, of course, hated it) and, of course, the brilliant Strictly Ballroom (1992), which differs from the recent BBC craze Strictly Come Dancing in that it isn’t fucking awful, while the naysayers tend to gang up on Moulin Rouge (2001) – its star, Nicole Kidman, was Oscar nominated, but it’s nevertheless an overblown and somewhat insincere musical maelstrom.
Subjectivity abounds in this piece. I’ve no doubt that whatever I cite as my 10 most prominent cinematic pieces of chaff, there will be those who will cite at least 11 I have missed. You are more than welcome to point out the error of my judgement.
The 80s were a time of bad music, bad fashions and truly cringe-making hairstyles, but also a breeding ground for trash movies. I often wonder if the entire decade was invented just to provide something on which the middle classes of the 00s could base their kitschy parties.


