Shane McNamara Movies
- 1993
Anthony LaPaglia, who's probably played more cops than Pat O'Brien, Edgar Kennedy and Fred Kelsey combined, dons brass and blue once more in The Custodian. LaPaglia plays a frustrated Australian policeman who decides to take on departmental corruption in a most unorthodox fashion. When he's not wrestling with bureaucracy and the good-ole-boy network, the policeman must contend with his unhappy marriage. All of the protagonist's various travails come to a head in the offbeat finale. The Custodian cannot be recommended for children, so pop it in your VCR after the little darlings are snuggled in bed. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anthony LaPaglia, Hugo Weaving, (more)
In 1945, a tribunal was held to investigate atrocities committed by the Japanese upon Australian soldiers during World War II. At an internment camp, 1100 Australian soldiers were tortured and killed by the Japanese, with only 300 survivors. This horrible event was not known until a terrible discovery of decapitated corpses was made at a grisly site on Ambon Island in Indonesia after the war. Stephen Wallace directed this courtroom drama based on the incident and follows the intrepid investigator who uncovers the truth behind the missing Australian soldiers. Bryan Brown plays Captain Cooper, the prosecutor of the case, in which 91 Japanese officers and soldiers are accused of murdering the Australian prisoners-of-war. The chief defendants are camp commander Takahashi (George Takei) and Captain Ikeuchi (Tetsu Watanabe). Takahashi denies knowing anything about the atrocities, as does Ikeuchi. Nevertheless, Cooper presses on to undercover the truth. But standing in his way is the American delegation, led by Major Beckett (Terry O'Quinn). They don't want a case to go forward that would reflect badly on the Japanese high command, since General MacArthur wants to reinstate many of the Japanese officers in a new postwar Japanese order. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, George Takei, (more)
