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The Vow

A saccharine and paint-by-numbers slice of romance, which is largely boosted by the appeal of its two leads.

Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (3D)

The under-utilised 3D adds little to this prequel, which only serves as a sore reminder of the brilliance of the original films.

Any Questions For Ben?

The talented bunch of actors ably cut through the surface gloss, but it’s tough to remain invested in the plight of the self-absorbed lead.

Shame

It starts off as brutal but arresting stuff, and the two lead performances are scorching, but disappointingly dissolves into a case of tragedy for the sake of tragedy.

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The Burning Season (Film)

by Annette Basile | July 07, 2009 16:16 | Edited July 07, 2009 16:20

This is a fascinating doco which doesn’t preach and keeps you hooked.

Dorjee Sun is a fascinating young man. An Australian entrepreneur, law graduate and possible visionary, he's the main player in this documentary, which looks at Indonesian deforestation and tracks Sun's battles as he tries to save the forests via carbon trading.
There's an uncomfortable moment when you realise that Sun intends to make money out of this, but you admire him for finding a solution within the current economic framework rather than hollering from the sidelines, accomplishing nothing. As is pointed out, if he wanted to get rich quick, he could have found a cushier way.

But this isn't just about the driven Dorjee Sun, although the human element of this film sets it apart from the green doco pack. Information rich without being dry, and nicely narrated by Hugh Jackman, The Burning Season reveals the devastation caused by fires that are deliberately lit to clear forests for palm oil plantations. It's about deforestation's effects on Indonesian wildlife (namely the amazing orangutans), its role in global warming, and, most importantly, practical solutions. As Sun explains, for some Indonesians, saving the environment "comes a far second to the fact that they've got 50 million people living so poor". The challenge, he says, is finding an alternative, sustainable livelihood for impoverished farmers while meeting green goals.

Using simple but attractive animation to illustrate the concept of carbon trading, the scheme's critics are also given a few minutes to present their case. There are also truly distressing images here - not only of forests going up in smoke, but also of the displaced orangutans. As Sun's vision encounters hitches along the way, the real life tension builds, keeping you hooked until the end. Informative and involving, The Burning Season makes its point without using a soapbox.