New Year’s Resolutions (Better late than never…)

1. Get some sleep (I always seem to stay up later than I should…not good…I need those blindfold-like things they use on airplanes)
2. Get on the Dean’s List
3. Read more books (I hardly have time to read anymore…*sigh* that’s sad. A book takes me ages to finish right now…)
4. Spend less time online (I hope?)
5. Less procrastination (I’m good at procrastinating apparently…I’m lazy…)

Ah well…lets hope I get to fulfill at least 1/2 of those resolutions

I went to watch Australia the other day…it stars Nicole Kidman & Hugh Jackman. Here’s the movie poster:

 

The movie’s directed by Baz Luhrmann who directed Moulin Rouge a couple of years back. Ooh, I read that he’ll be directing the movie adaptation for the musical, Wicked and also The Great Gatsby. Can’t wait for Wicked! I haven’t seen Moulin Rouge yet…but Seng Aik said he preferred Moulin Rouge to Australia. The movie’s narrated by Nullah, a half-caste aboriginal boy. It’s about Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) who journeys to the land down under from England to make her husband sell the land called Faraway Downs. She also suspects him of having an affair there, too. Her husband sent a rough-hewn cattle drover, simply called ‘Drover’ (Hugh Jackman) to bring her to Faraway Downs where she discovers something else instead (I won’t say what). Not long after arriving at Faraway Downs, Nullah tells Lady Sarah that he’s seen her cattle driven to Carney land (King Carney owns most of the land in northern Australia, except Faraway Downs). Because of this, Fletcher, station manager for Faraway Downs mistreats Nullah and Lady Sarah dismisses him. Without a station manager, Lady Sarah persuades Drover to drive the cattle to Darwin to be sold and together with a few others, they drove the 1500 cattle across the unrelenting landscape. Along the way, she finds herself responsible and somewhat captivated by Nullah and falls in love with Drover too. Well, that’s the basic gist of the movie. I thought the movie was pretty good though it was long (almost 3 hours!). Kidman and Jackman have great chemistry on-screen…and I have to say, the cinematography is just amazing! The rugged landscape is so beautiful…it made me wanna jump on a plane to Australia. A really effective tourism campaign, I must say! I’ve been searching high and low for the song played during the end credits, but no luck so far…it’s called By the Boab Tree by Ophelia of the Spirits. I read that it MIGHT be nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars this February. If anyone’s managed to download it, kindly let me know. The soundtrack’s not released yet, except for an EP on iTunes, which I’m desperate to have.

Kah Meng, I’ll come to Australia to find you one day! You’d better provide lodging…and chocolates be a good hostess…