Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week, Lovely & Amazing, SBS, Sun, 8.30pm:

This comic tale on American prudishness and female insecurities follows the travails of Jane (a brilliant Brenda Blethyn), the widow of two adult daughters with their own dysfunctions. Jane's adopted a young black girl because she loves to love, but the love returned also defines her own self-image. It's cleverly observed, with sharp insights into human frailty, and proof that not every great US flick has to be an FX blockbuster.

Gunpowder, treason & plot, ABC, Sun, 8.30pm:

A two-part drama inspired by the turbulent and bloody 16th Century reigns of Mary Queen of Scots and her son James VI, written by Cracker's Jimmy McGovern. Of course, the foiled attempt to premier cracker night features heavily.

Bandits, Prime, Sun, 8.30pm:

An enjoyable action-comedy romp in which Bruce Willis doesn't mind parodying his own action flicks. He's a macho prison escapee on the run with his hypochondriac robber mate (Billy Bob Thornton) stealing from banks across the country until they both fall for an unhappy housewife (Cate Blanchett) who decides she wants to be their hostage.

The Panic Room, NBN, Sun, 8.30pm:

A thriller not suitable for paranoids, with Jodie Foster as the divorced mum who buys a house with a special security room, only to be terrorised by burglars who seem to know a little too much about its features. It's a thinly plotted terror ride.

Cricket In The 80s, ABC, Mon, 9.30pm:

Flannelled fools will rejoice in this two-part doco about a tumultuous era when two men loomed large - Allan Border and Bob Simpson - in the wake of Kerry Packer's breakaway cricket. The usual suspects, aka the NBN commentary team, have their say.

Sex in the City, NBN, Mon, 9.30pm:

After six years of telling 30-something women that it's okay to be single, spend your money on clothes and Manolo Blahnik shoes, and grab the odd bloke whenever you need to satisfy more primal urges, it turns out all the girls ever wanted, deep down, was lerv. Adieu, adieu.

Opening of Parliament, ABC, Tues, 1.05am:

Finally, the kids are back at school for another 3-year term.

The Last Great Amateurs, ABC, Weds, 8.30pm:

This poignant doco captures the twilight abyss of amateur sport in a professional world, following the Melbourne Phoenix Netball Club through the pain and passion of their 2003 season. They're elite athletes in one of the nation's most popular sports, but survive on shoestring budgets that add to the pressure of purusing their dream. It's a powerful and slightly tragic story.