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Four Eyes

AUSTRALIAN drama has been in the doldrums for so long that it's terrific when something of the calibre of "The Silence" (ABC, Sunday, 8.30pm) comes along, a mini-series that is right up there with the best. It's a two-parter and for those of you who missed out on seeing it on Sunday, that episode is being repeated next Saturday night, and believe me, it is worth seeing.

In "The Silence" Richard Roxburgh plays Richard Treloar, a detective who tried to kill the murderer of one of his informants. He is shoved downstairs literally into bowels of the Police and Justice Museum to arrange an exhibition of the historic photos of crime there until the psychiatrist tells him he can return to his old squad.

Treloar becomes obsessed with a woman who appears as an onlooker in many scenes taken about 40 years ago and when he discovers the photos of her dead he sets out to solve the case.

This is no cold squad. He's doing it all on his own and totally without permission. He steals her purse from the evidence box and interviews the cop who originally covered the case.

His partner, another detective, throws him out of their house which was understandable as he had missed attending the function where she was presented with an award.

The production values are superb, especially the "old" photos, the work of stills photographer Matt Nettheim and 50 extras. The acting is great and I can hardly wait till next Sunday to find out what happened.

April 04, 2006
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