Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week: Beautiful People, SBS, Sun, 9.30pm:

Set in London a decade ago during the Bosnian war, where Yugoslavian refugees were fleeing to Britain, this is a black comedy that tackles serious issues about prejudice. It tells six stories, tenuously linked, that are at times heartbreaking, but still laugh out loud funny, like the heroin addict who ends up in Bosnia by drug-induced accident, only to end up becoming a minor hero. And the underlying message is just how bloody lucky some of us are that we only have to worry about refugees, not be one.

Why Australian men pay for it, SBS, Fri, 10pm:

If you've ever wondered what would possess a bloke to visit a prostitute, here's the revealingly candid answer from five blokes. This doco talks to both sides of the sex industry, clients and their chosen friends. It's all a bit jaw-dropping, probably because it's so frank.

Blue Murder, ABC, Fri, 8.30pm:

Not the Aussie drama about dodgy Sydney coppers, this slick two-part English drama is about a pregnant female plod (Caroline Quentin), whose private life is a mess, while the senior coppers are on her back to solve a nasty murder. It's beautifully crafted and told and anyone who loves Silent Witness's Sam Ryan will enjoy this two-part detective yarn.

The Great Escape, Prime, Fri, 10.30pm:

They just don't make 'em like this no more. A rollicking war movie with a classic cast (especially James Coburn as the Aussie), four decades old, but still a gripping story. Allied PoWs plan a daring mass escape from a Nazi prison. Go the good guys!

Seven Wonders Of The Industrial World, ABC, Sun, 7.30pm:

This seven-part series industrial age engineering milestones kicks off with The Great Ship, the story of engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel's SS Great Eastern, a 700ft monster he conceived in the 1850s to sail from Britain to Australia non-stop. It failed as a passenger ship, but did carry the first transatlantic telegraph cable to link Europe and America

What Women Want, NBN, Sun, 8.30pm:

What they want is something other than a repeat of this lightweight Mel Gibson comedy-romance to enjoy on a Sunday night. He plays a sleazy advertising exec who can hear women's thoughts. Not that he listens - Mel's busy convincing people adore him as much as he loves himself.

Say it isn't so, Prime, Sun, 9pm:

The (Dumb & Dumber) Farrelly Brothers let their junior colleague, JB Rogers have a stab at their inane brand of crude comedy and tedious shock jokes. Orphan Gilly Noble (Chris Klein) works at an animal shelter, then meets the gal o' his dreams (Heather Graham) at the hairdressers. They go for it like rabbits, then discover their siblings. It's tedious, but should amuse fans of Tasmanian jokes.

Mystery of the missing ace, ABC, Weds, 9.30pm:

In 1944, Wing Commander Adrian Warburton one of WWII's most glamorous and highly decorated pilots went missing. 60 years later, a diverse group of historians, archaeologists and air crash investigators piece together clues that lead to him finally being laid to rest last year.

Fahimeh's Story, SBS, Thurs, 8.30pm:

A vivacious 47-year-old Iranian women migrated to Australia with her kids, fleeing an unhappy arranged marriage. She fell in love with a 77-year-old digger, who is now converting to Islam, then the ex-husband turns up. It's a fascinating doco about the unpredictable twists and turns life has in store.