Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week: Russian Ark, SBS, Sun, 8.30pm:

You'll either think it's brilliant or a complete toss. Shot in one 90-minute take, it unfurls with dazzling opulence, following a 19th century French aristocrat through 33 rooms of the St Petersburg Hermitage museum. It's a sumptuous time machine that wanders past stunning art masterpieces with a dream like quality as it spans the triumphs and tragedies of Russian history. If nothing else, tune in for the visual beauty of the climactic ballroom scene.

Davis Cup, Prime, Fri,-Sun, 12.30pm:

The Aussies take on Morocco in a must-win series. C'mon Lleyton!

Super Troupers: 30 years of ABBA, Prime, Fri, 8.30pm:

Strewth, was it really that long ago since the Swedish supergroup won the Eurovision Song Contest comparing love with Napoleon's great loss? The most fascinating snippet is that Benny and Bjorn never wrote music - it all stayed in their heads.

AFL grand final, Ten, Sat, 2pm:

Port Adelaide and Brisbane head to Melbourne to slug it out in the first final without a Victorian team. Desperately Seeking Sheila, SBS, Sun, 7.30pm:

Four Aussie outback types from WA are looking for love. A truckload of Pom and Aussie lasses applied for the job. Last week, the lads got ready to choose the gal they're taking home on a three week trial. The remaining five episodes explore life in the bush and why country people are becoming an endangered species.

The Princess Diaries, Prime, Sun, 8.30pm:

A tweenies (girls aged 8-13) comedy fairy tale that's enjoyable for kids, but will most likely irritate adults with its saccharine, predictable Pretty Woman plot. Mia (Anne Hathaway) is your typical US teen ugly duckling who discovers she's actually European royalty. Her gran (Julie Andrews) helps with the makeover. No prizes for guessing the result.

Proof of Life, NBN, Sun, 8.30pm:

Russell Crowe finally puts his biffo skills to good use as an ex-SAS officer enlisted by a woman (Meg Ryan) desperate to get her kidnapped husband (David Morse) back from dodgy South American rebel types. It's a tense thriller, if a little routine, with plenty going awry.

Blackhawk Down, Ten, Mon, 8.30pm:

Eric Bana stars in this drama based on the true story of the ill-fated 1993 US army mission to capture a Somali warlord. Director Ridley Scott offers a relentless, detailed blow-by-blow account of what happened. It's a powerful testament to the brutality of combat and the humanity of those caught in such a fraught situation. A compelling drama.

Grass, SBS, Tues, 10pm:

One for the boys to light up to, as noted conehead Woody Harrelson narrates this doco exploring US drug policy. It's quaintly amusing in places, but there's no doubting its makers did inhale.