Shaun De Waal

MOVIE OF THE WEEK: My recollection of a country unified on at least one issue came back to me while watching Jason Reitman’s debut feature, <i>Thank You for Smoking</i>, writes Shaun de Waal.

How are South Africa’s senior white male poets dealing with the world? Shaun de Waal looks at three new collections.

<b>MOVIE OF THE WEEK</b>: In <i>The Libertine</i> Johnny Depp turns up in a more challenging and ultimately more successful role, writes Shaun de Waal.

<b>MOVIE OF THE WEEK</b>: George Clooney’s new oil-industry drama, <i>Syriana</i> offers engrossing and informative viewing, writes Shaun de Waal.

<b>DRAMA OF THE WEEK</b>: Shaun de Waal reviews Richard E Grant’s <i>Wah-Wah</i>, a labour of love that required much patience and persistence.

<b>NOT THE MOVIE OF THE WEEK:</b> The lack of substance in <i>The Island</i> can’t be disguised by it’s big budget and the film leaves one with a distinct sense of pointlessnes, writes Shaun de Waal.

Shaun de Waal paints a picture of Lewis Nkosi from an interview and a collection of essays by and about the writer.

<b>MOVIE OF THE WEEK:</b> Director Bryan Singer has managed to make the usual Superman superheroics, in <i>Superman Returns</i> feel fresh, and the computer-generated imagery is superb, writes Shaun de Waal.

<b>MOVIE OF THE WEEK:</b> While not an uplifting experience for the moviegoer, <i>Vera Drake</i> makes for a touching, sometimes funny, and in the end strangely satisfying movie, writes Shaun de Waal.

<b>NOT THE MOVIE OF THE WEEK:</b> <i>The White Countess</i> isn’t a staggeringly bad movie; it’s just not very good, writes .

Shaun de Waal reviews some of the latest DVD releases.

Shaun de Waal experiences the buzz at the highly successful first Cape Town Book Fair.

<b>NOT QUITE THE MOVIE OF THE WEEK:</b> Woody Allen’s latest offering <i>Match Point</i> is a bleak little movie, unrelieved by warmth or humour, writes Shaun de Waal.

<b>MOVIE OF THE WEEK:</b> From the director of <i>American Pie</i>, <i>American Dreamz</i> has enough intelligence embedded in its concept and script to lift it above the level of mere gross-out, writes Shaun de Waal.

A new book picks apart the mythology of Shaka, but is also an absorbing picture of his times, writes Shaun de Waal.

b>MOVIE OF THE WEEK:</b> Shaun de Waal reviews the latest release from Kevin Reynolds, <i>Tristan and Isolde</i>.

<b>NOT QUITE THE MOVIE OF WEEK</b>: Shaun de Waal reviews what he believes to be the best of the <i>Mission: Impossible</i> franchise, <i>M:i:III</i>.

<b>LIVE-ACTION MOVIE OF THE WEEK:</b> <i>Prime</i> isn’t as funny as a good Woody Allen movie, though it has some delightful humour embedded in it, writes Shaun de Waal.

<b>MOVIES OF THE WEEK:</b> Shaun de Waal reviews two movies with a more thoughtful take on family.

<b>NOT THE MOVIE OF THE WEEK:</b> Fourteen years later, <i>Basic Instinct II</i> is here. Shaun de Waal reviews the film.

Alyce Mahon’s <i>Eroticism and Art</i> touches on a huge range of artists and works, writes Shaun de Waal.

<b>MOVIE OF THE WEEK</b>: <i>Inside Man</i> is not what one would have expected of Spike Lee, and in many ways doesn’t feel like "a Spike Lee joint", writes Shaun de Waal.

MOVIE OF THE YEAR: So much has already been written about Brokeback Mountain that it’s hard to know what else to say. One must, though, clear up a small misunderstanding. The movie is said to be about “gay cowboys”, and that’s not quite right. First, they are not gay as such. Yes, they do gay […]

<b>NOT QUTE THE MOVIE OF THE WEEK</b>: Shaun de Waal reviews the nature documentary that has been a surprise hit all round the world, <i>March of the Penguins</i>.

Shaun de Waal speaks to Roger Ballen about the puzzling nature of his recent pictures.

Shaun de Waal looks at a wide range of books dealing with gender issues and how they affect the role of South Africans in society today.

<b>MOVIE OF THE WEEK</b>: The film adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel, <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> is scripted with great skill and would makes a great heterosexual date movie, writes Shaun de Waal.

<b>NOT QUITE THE MOVIE OF THE WEEK</b>: In her new movie <i>North Country</i>, Charlize Theron does a solid, credible job in the lead role that allows her to get her pretty face dirty without having to do the full <i>Monster</i>, writes Shaun de Waal.

Shaun de Waal finds disconcerting irregularities in Steven Spielberg’s controversial new film, <i>Munich</i>.

<b>MOVIE OF THE WEEK</b>: It has been clear for some time now that George Clooney had ambitions beyond being TV’s sexiest, best-loved doctor and his role in <i>Out of Sight</i> was a bit of a turning point, writes Shaun de Waal.

Peter Jackson’s <i>King Kong</i> is the ultimate creature feature, writes Shaun de Waal.

Robbie Williams’s latest album is an energetic and shameless form of pastiche pop, writes Shaun de Waal.