Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week, Star Wars II:

Attack of the Clones, Ten, Sun, 8.30pm:

The second (or is it the fifth?) does much to fill in the blanks of this epic mythological saga. Anakin (Hayden Christensen) is a Jedi apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), providing muscle for senator Amidala (Natalie Portman). It's good to see Christopher Lee once again, as bad dude Count Dooku. A love story in which Anakin's fall from grace begins. The film was shot mostly in Sydney and Aussies Rose Byrne, Joel Edgerton and Jack Thompson feature, along with Jedi Knights from the Northern Rivers branch. Of course Lucas' CGI effects are spectacular. It's a rollicking good adventure.

The Real Attila the Hun, SBS, Fri, 8.30pm:

The John Howard of his era, it seems the poor chap was misunderstood and misrepresented. While he was fond of a good stoush, he was also a shrewd politician and this excellent doco tries to sort the myth from the man.

The Cider House Rules, NBN, Sat, 8.30pm:

John Irving is a clever novelist and director Lasse Hallstrom does his best with this bowdlerised version of Irving's Homeric adventure. A coming-of-age tale about an orphan (Tobey Maguire), it's full of morality tales and disappointments. Michael Caine is excellent as the eccentric orphanage director and music buffs should keep an eye out for Erykah Badu as Rose. It's still superlative drama, beautifully rendered, with plenty of food for thought.

Monsoon Wedding, SBS, Sun, 8.30pm:

A sprawling, light-hearted family comedy about a New Delhi family gathered together for an arranged marriage. It's full of universal truths about family, from conflicts to shifting allegiances, unrequited love and competing desires, all told with a typically colourful Indian ebullience that makes it festive and fun.

Frankenstein: Birth Of A Monster, ABC, Sun, 9.25pm:

Mary Shelley was a bit of a goer and hanging around a party animal like Byron didn't help. She also had plenty of demons in her life before they all sat down to write a monster story as a bit of a joke. Her famous creation simply brought them to the surface as this insightful doco reveals.

Shear Bliss, ABC, Tues, 8pm:

Shearing 200 sheep a day is one of the toughest jobs in the world. This lively, funny and intimate four-part series follows a young bloke and sheila trying to have a crack at it. It's a fascinating portrait of two determined people with plenty of obstacles in their way.

Made in China, SBS, Tues, 8.30pm:

This US doco about the power of retailers has important local relevance. Wal-Mart is now the world's biggest company, and manufacturers bow to their power. And the pressures for cheaper goods are driving jobs offshore to Asia, not to mention making a mess of the balance of payments.