Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week, Samsara, SBS, Sun, 9.30pm:

This spiritual love story, set in a Buddhist community high in the Himilayas, follows the travails of a young monk three years into his meditative quest for enlightenment. But more carnal concerns begin to invade his thoughts and when he succumbs to them, he discovers the world is littered with an endless tangle of loose threads he's totally unprepared for. This is a breathtakingly beautiful film, gently told, but with an emotional punch.

8 Mile, Ten, Fri, 8.30pm:

A very old-fashioned story gets a modern makeover with Rabbit (Eminem) as the Rocky of rap, surviving Detroit's mean streets to make something of his life, despite his circumstances, including living with his trailer trash mum (Kim Basinger). The film has a gritty realism about the urban underclass and while it's a bit of a fairytale, there's much to appreciate, not least the controversial rapper's performance.

The Curse of Debbie Does Dallas, SBS, Fri, 10pm:

This sad tale simply details the degradations of the porn industry and its victims, using the most famous porn flick of all time (it was Mafia funded) as its starting point. It's an interesting expose, which fails to uncover what happened to the film's 'star'. Be warned that, unsurprisingly, it's not all family viewing.

Requiem for a Cup Final, SBS, Sat, 7.30pm:

20 years after 39 people died with a soccer stadium stand collapse in Brussels, this doco questions whether going on with the game, won by Juventus, really was worth it. Perhaps, for the lessons learnt from such a tragedy.

Save your legs, SBS, Sun, 8.30pm:

This is what cricket is all about - a bunch of Aussie blokes touring India, getting thrashed but having a great time. Part-drama, travelogue and comedy, it's an entertaining doco.

Die Another Day, Prime, Sun, 8.30pm:

The 20th James Bond installment has 007 (Pierce Brosnan) filled with the usual hi-tech hi-jinks and battling terrorist megalomaniacs (Rick Yune and Toby Stephens) intent on world domination. Halle Berry reprises Ursula Andress' bikini scene from Dr No, Dame Judi enjoys being M and John Cleese tries his hand at Q. It's like a Macca's burger - not particularly nutritious or interesting, but at least you know what to expect.

Numb3rs, Ten, Mon, 8.30pm:

A crime show for nerds, where the heroes come up with math formulas to catch the crims. In some ways it's just like every other cops and robbers race.

Body Work, NBN, Thurs, 8.30pm:

What is the world coming too? Angry Anderson, going from angry young rocker to mild grandpa, gets laser surgery to remove the rose tattoo - the symbol of his former hell-raising band. Next week, Nationals leader Mark Vaile gets plastic surgery to remove the footprints from where the Liberals walked all over him.