Baz Luhrmann Ads Propose Australian Tourism as Salve for Shattered American Lives

Baz Luhrmann’s boundless ambition may have met its match in a new pair of TV spots commissioned by Tourism Australia, an organisation still reeling from its failure to entice international visitors two years ago with its bikini-clad representative scolding, “Where the bloody hell are you?” This time around, the tourism board opted for the more cheerful specter of an Aboriginal child whose fistful of fairy dust cures everything from burnout to bipolar disorder, all graphically allayed against the backdrop of America’s inclement urban hellholes. Luhrmann’s quick-cut horror show not only disappoints as a short film, but also tosses back in our face all the romantic tourist goodwill he’d accrued through his sweeping Australia trailers — themselves a far more uplifting endorsement of young native kids’ rejuvenating powers, if Nicole Kidman’s burnished features are any indication. Back to the drawing board, Baz! Judge for yourself after the jump. [YouTube]