Gentlemen Of The Court Prove Strength Of Character Is Worth A Whole Lot More Than Attitude

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday January 25, 2001

Doug Anderson

City Cabs

7.30pm, SBS: Often the first person you meet when you venture into a new city is a cab driver. They can take you for a ride or they can initiate you into the character and flavour of their hometown ... except that for a large number of Sydney taxi drivers, their hometown is far away. Clive James realised years ago that cabbies, driving up and down the veins and arteries of any metropolis, were the people to consult when you needed to find out where it was at. Trouble was, Clive didn't have a clue where it was at even when he arrived there like some poor stumblebum Candide. This series, assaying 13 cities around the globe, begins in New York where the presenter, Michael Krass, flags down a Yellow and meets Cliff, who is rather more erudite than Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element. Andrew L. Urban on wheels. As the world shrinks, the people pop out.

ICAM

8pm, SBS: Off we go to New Caledonia for the Pacific Arts Festival. It's rather more peaceful in paradise this time, but there are political problems nonetheless, with the spectre of boycotts and payback threats. The weather is a trump card and eventually differences are settled sufficiently for the program to proceed. The common spirituality and cultural spine that propel the festival are impressive. Dictators and totalitarian regimes realise that art binds people together, even though the people frequently aren't aware of it. That's why they come crashing down heavily on dissidents who champion freedom of thought, individuality and cohesion. And from the spontaneous exuberance of this event emerges a most salient point: the difference between being proud, as a proactive attitude, and feeling proud, as an epiphany. Think about it.

The Arts Show

9pm, ABC: The amazing career of Rosalie Gascoigne, a visual artist who began her creative phase late in life, is the subject of tonight's program. Gascoigne had a great eye for assembling provocative images from found objects and blending youthful vitality with mature vision in her work. Little wonder her pieces command high prices. She would be amused to find herself as No5 on a list of Australia's most wanted artists.

Tennis

7pm, 7: Agassi v Rafter. With so much bulk grunt, rampant ego and immaturity on display in tennis, it's rare to find two players blessed with graciousness on the same court at the same time. Agassi has evolved through several phases to become one of the most admired players of his era and Rafter epitomises the sporting spirit of this country. Their match should be a beauty and whoever wins will doubtless share the crowd's approval with his rival. Power doesn't necessarily connote with snarling ferocity. Strength of character is more enduring than attitude.

The Big Picture

9.30pm, ABC: German forces have pushed deep into Soviet territory, employing familiar blitzkrieg tactics with spectacular success. The barbarity displayed by Reich units in dealing with POWs and civilians alike is documented all too vividly and the reminiscences of soldiers from both sides amplify the despairing statistics. Now, with Stalin talking tough, squandering hundreds of thousands but contemplating a deal with Hitler, the weather and Marshal Zhukov enter the equation decisively. Operation Barbarossa remains a monumental tragedy for both sides, notwithstanding the courage of the Russians. Watch out for the greedy leaders who'll take you where you should not go. Beware ofdarkness.

FOXTEL

MOVIE 8.30pm: Two Hands (Showtime)

Heath Ledger, Bryan Brown, Rose Byrne. A spruiker runs into trouble after losing $10,000 that wasn't his to start with. A fast-paced, stylish Aussie flick.

SPORT 12pm: Golf (Fox Sports)

Australasian PGA Tour, round one.

OPTUS

MOVIE 10.50pm: Singles (Movie One)

Bridget Fonda, Matt Dillon, Kyra Sedgwick. A group of young adults inhabits the same apartment building during the growth of the independent music scene in Seattle.

GENERAL 9.30pm: Behind the Music: Milli Vanilli (Oh!)

The two guys in Milli Vanilli became laughing stocks when it was revealed they did not sing on their records. One member managed to move on from this, the other was not as strong.

RADIO

In Conversation, 12.15pm, Radio National

Buses, like bad luck, seem to come in threes. Is this some vague fusion of Pandora's box with fractal logic or is there a chaos theory unit within the UTA? Rob Eastaway reveals some strange Fibonacci sequences and other mathematical curiosities to Robyn Williams. But can he explain the economics of Mr Shier's management structure?