3 Needles
Directed by Thom Fitzgerald

By Peter Knegt

After a subtle yet warm showing at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, American-born Nova Scotian Thom Fitzgerald’s fifth feature film, 3 Needles, finally makes it to a limited release in major Canadian cities.

This release has been met with relatively little fanfare, which is unfortunate considering its potential. 3 Needles’ international release won’t even surface until December and features a second (and somewhat superior) cut of the film. However, the film, featuring a triumvirate of inter-cut stories about HIV/AIDS, is an ambitious and undeniably important film worthy of your time and thought through whatever method you manage to see it.

The three geographically disconnected stories illustrate the plethora of factors that play into HIV transmission: in China, Jin Ping (Lucy Lui) pays five dollars apiece to residents of a small village for their blood, lying to them about her intentions. When the entire village begins to fall seriously ill, farmer Tong Sam (Tanabadee Chokpikultong) investigates the crisis. In South Africa, nun Clara (Chloe Sevigny) is attempting to teach Catholicism to the dying before “it’s too late.” Yet her mission is diverted when she becomes interested in helping a family of orphans. In Canada, Montreal porn star Denys (Shawn Ashmore) passes his monthly blood tests by stealing blood from his father. He gets caught, which proves a serious problem for his poor family, particularly mother Olive (Stockard Channing).

The film attempts to draw correlations between the stories, portraying their commonalities rather than their differences. Fitzgerald doesn’t try and artificially sew the stories into a Crash-like ball of conclusiveness; they each stand on their own but work together to relay a ridiculously relevant message. Unlike the majority of its AIDS film predecessors, 3 Needles’ aim to educate is worthy and well informed. And while accuracy may take a backseat to melodrama, this does not stop 3 Needles from being a powerful piece of filmmaking. (Seville)

The Devil and Daniel Johnston - Dir. by Jeff Feuerzeig
Eccentric underground singer-songwriter and celebrated outsider artist Daniel Johnston has always been a fascinating character for his wildly imaginative music and art, however, the mental illness he’s suffered from has never before been examined to the extent that it has in this documentary. ...Read More
The Notorious Bettie Page - Dir. by Mary Harron
Making a movie about pin-up pioneer Bettie Page has one serious stumbling block: Page has been largely incommunicado since finding God and renouncing her posing ways. This makes definite statements on her motives and feelings impossible to verify, but director Mary Harron has a novel way of getting around this: offer no new material and no useful perspective. ...Read More
Akeelah And The Bee - Dir. by Doug Atchison
American Dreamz - Dir. by Paul Weitz
Art School Confidential - Dir. by Terry Zwigoff
Don't Come Knocking - Dir. by Wim Wenders
Hard Candy - Dir. by David Slade
Just My Luck - Dir. by Donald Petrie
Keeping Up With The Steins - Dir. by Scott Marshall
Kinky Boots - Dir. by Julian Jarrold
Lonesome Jim - Dir. by Steve Buscemi
Mission: Impossible 3 - Dir. by J.J. Abrams
Over the Hedge - Dir. by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick
Poseidon - Dir. by Wolfgang Petersen
RV - Dir. by Barry Sonnenfeld
Stick It - Dir. by Jessica Bendinger
The Da Vinci Code - Dir. by Ron Howard
The Promise - Dir. by Chen Kaige
The Rocket - Dir. by Charles Binamé
The Sentinel - Dir. by Clark Johnson
United 93 - Dir. by Paul Greengrass
On his second album, Unbalance, 2562 continues to fuse genres and theories about rhythmic persuasion. Less atmospheric than his highly acclaimed avant-dub-step debut, this new disc further showcases 2562's unerring sense of swing. Though he denies any intentional influences from Africa... Full Review
Gurpreet "The Tabla Guy" Chana combines a deep knowledge of Indian classical music and a lifetime of Canadian musical experiences into a unique approach to percussion. He is both a spellbinding solo performer and a consummate collaborator. Raised in Hamilton, now residing in Toronto, Chana's tabla education began at age three. He relates a time-honoured musical starting point, albeit with specific cultural resonance.... Read More
"Slayer!" Second only to pleas for Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird," virtually every concert-goer of the past quarter-century has heard this passionate cry unleashed during a show, metal or otherwise. There's a reason. The Huntington, California metal quartet is hands-down one of the boldest, most agile, impassioned bands in the history of recorded music. There's no mistaking Slayer.... Read More
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the May 2006 Issue: Contents PageNewsClick Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Front Five  •  Points  •  Comics  •  Questionnaire  •  Timeline  •  Videogames • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  No Future  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews  •  Videogame Reviews • Music School --> Label Life  •  Meet & Greet  •  Need to Know  •  What I Play Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue Browse Issues