8:00 PM, 23rd March, 2007
From the creators of Chicken Run and the Wallace & Gromit series, the Aardman company brings us its first computer animated flick, and you wont want to miss it.Roddy is an upper-class mouse living as a beloved pet in a posh flat. When a sewer rat named Sid arrives on the scene, Roddy schemes to rid himself of the pest. But Sid isn't stupid and it's Roddy who winds up being flushed away into the bustling sewer world of Ratropolis. There he meets Rita with whom he makes a deal to use her boat to get him out of Ratropolis. Unfortunately they run afoul of Boss Toad, who sends his henchmen after them. It soon becomes apparent that Roddy and Rita's journey isn't just a chase to escape the sewers but a quest to save the subterranean world from Toad's mad schemes. Flushed Away contains plenty of the elements that make animated movies popular with children: animals, bright colors, and bodily function gags. But there's also comedy aimed at an older audience and shades of characterisation have been added mainly for the adult audience. The voice casting is genius: big names enhance the movie, but their vocal work doesn't raise images of their real-life faces so it doesn't create a distraction. I really enjoyed this film, and I'm sure you will too. '
Tamara Lee
9:24 PM, 23rd March, 2007
Patrick Chamusso (Luke) is trying to live his life peacefully, avoiding the political turmoil around and looking after his family. Given that he is a black man living in the early 1980s South Africa, thats something of a hard task.This all changes when the African National Congress (ANC) attacks the Secunda oil refinery, where Patrick works as a foreman. The innocent Patrick is taken in by district Police Security Branch Colonel Nic Vos (Robbins) and interrogated about the incident, which he knows nothing about. Furthermore, his questioning leads to his wife being arrested and brutally tortured. This leads Patrick to side with the ANC and lead a further attack that will have repercussions that change the face of South Africa.Catch a Fire is Australian director Phillip Noyce's latest political drama, following Rabbit Proof Fence and The Quiet American, and he is still in fine form. Explosive performances from Luke and Robbins make this a must-see film about an era of recent history that many would sooner forget.'
Adam Gould