Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week, 11.9.01 September 11, SBS, Weds, 10pm

This was a bold experiment to try and find some meaning in the horrible events of two years ago. 11 international directors were given 11 mins, 9 secs and one frame, to tell a story. Perhaps the most telling is of a woman teacher trying to explain to Afghan refugee children in Iran what happened, but they're more worried about a man who just drowned in a well. All have a resonance with the suffering, struggles and unpredictability of humanity.

Bring it on, NBN, Sat, 7.30pm

Kirsten Dunst leads some spunky cheerleading chickybabes in the grandfinal for pom pom shaking. It's a decent teen drama with a moral bent. She's from the champion posh school, but discovers their routines were knicked from a poor black school by the previous caption. It's time to do the right thing, face up to adversity, and rise to the occasion... blah blah blah. It's a decent effort, and the cheerleading stunts are pretty spectacular.

Famous Faces: Cate Blanchett, ABC, Sat, 9.30pm

If you're going to stay in on a Saturday night and watch TV, Aussie Cate's certainly the woman to do it for. She's a brilliant actor who has earned the praise of her peers, the breadth of her talent drips from the screen.

The Old Elephant Route, ABC, Sun, 6pm

A (slow) moving tale about a young Indian ethnologist and her two companions as they travel, atop elephants, across India in search of wild elephants. It's a frustrating adventure that shows how inventive yet capricious humans can be.

The Trial of Henry Kissinger, SBS, Sun, 8.30pm

If you're wondering why Australia ended up in such deep do-do dealing with East Timor, it might be worth this doco on America's most famous diplomat who, 30 years ago, won the Nobel Peace Prize (but then, so did Arafat). Kissinger gave Indonesia the green light to invade (and the munitions), then lied about it. It was the least of his transgressions in a career notable for its paranoia, deceptions, moral vacuum and megalomania. Journalist Christopher Hitchens thinks he should be indicted for war crimes. But Kissinger is our Bin Laden, so that's different. At least you'll understand why the US won't back an international criminal court.

Woman on Top, Prime, Sun , 8.30pm

Penny Cruz is a Brazilian bombshell chef who likes a vertical option to horizontal jogging, due to motion sickness. Her talent for making a TV exec's soufflé rise soon land her a celebrity TV chef gig. It's a trifle of a romantic comedy, lacking decent sherry, that tries to be an overcooked Like Water for Chocolate.

Blonde, Ten, Sun, 8.30pm

A telemovie about Marilyn Monroe, starring Poppy Montogomery, that suggests the PM's favourite era wasn't as golden as he might think.

The Mastermind of Sept 11, SBS, Tues, 8.30pm

This dark doco about the man regarded as the brains behind S11, Ayman al-Zawahiri, interviews his family, friends, academics and former cellmates to give a snapshot into al-Zawahiri's life and how he came to be Osama bin Laden's trusted adviser. It's chilling stuff, especially since he's still on the run.

Platypus, the World's Strangest Animal: ABC, Wednesday: 8.30pm

Award-winning filmmaker David Parer's fascinating documentary gives old Attenborough a run for his money. Three years in the making, it's an amazing insight into the life of the platypus, and includes never-before-seen footage of a mother with her young.