Plain Spoken

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Three and a half days ago -- an eon! -- Australia director Baz Luhrman acknowledged to a Hollywood Reporter staffer that "there are those [who] don't get" his widely disparaged film. Or rather, he meant, "a lot of the film scientists don't get it. And it's not just that that they don't get it, but they hate it and they hate me , and they think I'm the black hole of cinema. They say, 'He shouldn't have made it, and he should die.'"

Nobody I know thinks Baz Luhrman is anything close to the black hole of cinema. They think of him, rather, as the cinematic adrenochrome dealer. A whirling, pixie-dust-sprinkling, gray-haired avatar of big, pumped and extreme. The wizard of cranked-up razmatazz for the sake of...well, cranked-up razmatazz! Mr. Look-at-Me, Look-At-What-I-Can-Do!

How badly, honestly, has Luhrman been hurt by the reception to Australia? What producer or distributor in the world, honestly, would begin to even consider funding/distributing a Baz Luhrman version of The Great Gatsby, which Lurhman mentions in the article? If I had the wherewithal and the freedom to say "yes" or "no," I wouldn't even flirt with the idea of of getting into bed with Luhrman on this project. Who would?

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on December 21, 2008 at 5:23 PM

comment #1

Glenn Kenny says ...

Boy, the guy certainly takes it hard, doesn't he.

Posted by Glenn Kenny at December 21, 2008 8:31 PM

comment #2

/3rtfu11 says ...

I love his intense facial expression he has in the photo.

Posted by /3rtfu11 at December 21, 2008 9:47 PM

comment #3

/3rtfu11 says ...

I love his intense facial expression in the photo.

Posted by /3rtfu11 at December 21, 2008 9:48 PM

comment #4

Arran says ...

Luhrmann having trouble getting further films off the ground would please me greatly. "A whirling, pixie-dust-sprinkling, gray-haired avatar of big, pumped and extreme. The wizard of cranked-up razmatazz for the sake of...well, cranked-up razmatazz! Mr. Look-at-Me, Look-At-What-I-Can-Do!" is probably the most accurate description I've read of his style yet. Kudos, Jeff.

Posted by Arran at December 21, 2008 10:11 PM

comment #5

CJ says ...

I am not surprised by his churlish response to what has been very tempered criticism of his film. He comes across as a tool.
Read some of the British press reviews, the Guardian and Independent,they are not quite so kind.
If the man displayed the smallest amount of humility then maybe he might be a better film maker.
Australia was a great example of no one questioning him in any way and his lack of clear vision.
The man should never be given this type of money ever again.
I shudder to think what a mess he would make of Gatsby.

Posted by CJ at December 22, 2008 12:18 AM

comment #6

Renfield says ...

What's more arrogant than thinking people are constantly talking about and are out to get you.

Stick to commercials, pal. Anyone else ever notice that M.R. is exactly like what a spazzy, musical episode of Three's Company would be like?

Posted by Renfield at December 22, 2008 12:31 AM

comment #7

Markj74 says ...

Baz Luhrmann is a bit annoying isn't he? Hopefully the bomb of Australia will bring him down a peg or two.

Posted by Markj74 at December 22, 2008 2:51 AM

comment #8

swordandpen says ...

I guess Luhrman is in the anger and denial phases, but will be moving into the bargaining, depression and acceptance phases sometime in the near future.

Why did anyone give this guy $150 million to make an old-fashioned studio picture that most audiences these days have no interest in seeing?

Posted by swordandpen at December 22, 2008 4:53 AM

comment #9

Howlingman says ...

I've always felt the best cure-all for any director falling victim to self-indulgence would be to get a bunch of investors to scrape together maybe a hundred mil, form a company, and call out to guys like Luhrman, Spielberg,. Scorsese, Coppola, Mann -- and tell them they have a total green light to make whatever they want, but only have 16 million dollars, 16 mm film and maybe six weeks to shoot. Drag them all back to the beginning of their low-budget careers and see what they come up with. Who'd pass? Who'd crash and burn, and who'd swing for the bleachers, and hit a home run?

Posted by Howlingman at December 22, 2008 6:55 AM

comment #10

lonniechung says ...

I think he has a legitimate gripe. The press tainted this movie early on; maybe because they don't approve of his excessive approach to film, maybe because the sense of disaster was in the air and everyone loves a "huge bomb" story. Me personally, I have no interest in his movies, but someone like my mom does, and bad reviews can be poison. Of course, Nicole Kidman is the equivalent of asking the masses not to see the movie, but that's beside point. Audiences will go to see sweeping epics in droves if they are even half-decent, unless everything they've heard up to that point says "stay away."

Posted by lonniechung at December 22, 2008 7:56 AM

comment #11

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Good idear, Howlingman. I'd automatically go "all-in" on Steven Soderbergh -- the less $ that guy has to work with, the more $ that guy's films actually *are*. I don't think (nor do I want to believe) those Ocean's movies are actually his, I think he outsources the filmmaking to a yeoman director like Norman Jewison, or someone equally competent but generally uninspired.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at December 22, 2008 12:52 PM

comment #12

knightrider76 says ...

imagine how good mamma mia would've been if luhrmann directed it. i mean, the guy can do musicals.

just saw the dvd and talk about amateurish direction.

Posted by knightrider76 at December 22, 2008 9:32 PM

comment #13

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