Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week, War, SBS, Weds, 10pm:

This Russian film offers a brutal tale of Chechnyan kidnappers holding a British couple to ransom. The husband is released along with a Russian to try and raise the funds to free his wife, to no avail, and they team up to rescue her. It's a gritty, ironic drama that has things to say about humanity's dark sides, from the shady profiteers of the region's post-communist chaos, to the equally exploitive and immoral British media.

Monarch of the Glen, ABC, Sat, 7.30pm:

The sixth sees a new laird Paul (Lloyd Owen) replacing Archie (who's gone to Kiwi country). The usual battles over change leads to a mix of tiffs and romance. It's a fun, witty, charming soap, set in a beautiful landscape. Next week, former Dr Who Tom Baker turns up as the mad uncle.

The Memphis Trousers Half Hour, ABC, Sat, 9.30pm:

Chewed up and spat out after their commercial foray, Roy & HG return to Aunty for more of their rampant shtick. It could be getting a little tired, but then there's a dearth of satire in an increasingly bizarre world.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, NBN, Sat, 8.30pm:

A classic sci-fi film falls victim to that old washing powder gimmick of New! Improved! 20 years later, Lucas tacks four more minutes onto the 1977 debut, fixes a few of the original dodgy special effects with today's CGI, and gives it a new title. You know the story, from a long time ago in a galaxy far far away...

Windtalkers, Prime, Sun, 8.30pm:

In spite of director John Woo's penchant for over-the-top explosions, impressive battle scenes and action, the true story behind this wartime drama is a compelling one - even if it's underplayed and lost in a sea of clichés. Navajo Indians were WWII radio operators, speaking the native tongue as code. Nicholas Cage and Christian Slater are US Marines assigned to 'protect the code' - ie. bodyguards for the operators who'll kill their own to stop the Japanese learning Navajo. Frances O'Connor plays a nurse with a heart o' gold.

Media Watch, ABC, Mon, 9.15pm:

Liz Jackson takes over as host, and promises an even more forensic analysis of how the media operates. It's a show for media junkies, but makes for good blood sport.

Wild Valley, ABC, Tues, 8pm:

Newlyweds Craig and Tahnee are outdoor types, living in the Victorian high country and dreaming of running a brumby sanctuary. It's a good and ultimately heartwarming three-part yarn about bush battlers.

Weapons of Mass Deception, SBS, Tues, 8.30pm:

The new PC is Patriotic Correctness, since the other war fought over Iraq was the propaganda war. This doco, while blazingly partisan in its view, questions the role of media during war. Is it meant to be a cheer squad for its home team. It's followed (10pm) by a doco on the Bush case for war, which even those who supported the invasion admit was misleading.