Sorry mate.

Oh Rusty. In an attempt at bagging out the US legal system Russell Crowe has in effect made the Australian legal system look like a big fucking joke. (which of course it is, but that's another issue). The infamous phone throwing incident of 2005, otherwise known as assault, would apparently have just been seen as crazy larrikin behaviour downunder.

"Where I come from, a confrontation as basic and simple as that would have been satisfied with a handshake and an apology,"

Sure, I know if someone threw something at my head, sorry would most certainly suffice. Something a little more serious like maybe being shot at would perhaps warrant a beverage of some sort, but throwing around silly words like assault or attempted murder....well that's just some hype the yanks enjoy isn't it.