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European and Australian movie values mix in Beware of Greeks Bearing Guns, a subtle comedy about love and pride. Lakis Lazopoulus, revered in his home country as the 'Greek Seinfeld', makes his feature film debut alongside experienced Australian actress Zoe Carides. Lazopoulos plays a Greek school teacher expected to avenge the murder of his grandfather 57 years ago. Growing up with the expectation that he would clear his Yiayia's (grandmother's) vendetta has proved tough for gun shy Manos, but making it worse is the fact his more volatile twin brother George (also cleverly played by Lazopoulos) is keen to take destiny into his own hands. However, tradition decrees that the oldest son must do the honurs and when the long missing murderer is discovered in Melbourne, Manos must face his demons, leaving George behind to stew in his own juices. In Melbourne he is tutored in the art of assassination by old family friend Stephanos (John Bluthal) and is reunited with his hostile former fiancee Nicki (Carides). Only when George arrives in Australia to take control of the job is the truth of the vendetta revealed. Clocking in at a short 82 minutes, Beware of Greeks.doesn't waste any time. Director John Tatoulis works to a tight schedule and succeeds in telling a good story without the unnecessary embellishment experienced in Let's Get Skase, his last major outing. Also worth noting is the film debut of striking Claudia Buttazzoni who graces the screen as Nicki's daughter. Buttazzoni, who has had guest appearances in Home and Away, Neighbours and Blue Heelers, gives a great performance as a teenager looking for her identity, reminiscent of Pia Miranda in Looking For Alibrandi.

Big time Hollywood star Guy Pearce returns to his old stomping grounds in Australia to headline crime thriller The Hard Word. Straight out of the pages of a Robert G Barrett or Gary Disher novel, The Hard Word has plenty of p(l)ot holes, making for an occasionally bumpy ride. But it does the job as a gritty Australian crime story. Also owes something to the direction of Guy Ritchie as several times I felt like I was watching an Australian version of Lock Stock. Pearce heads a trio of bank robbing brothers stuck in jail, waiting to be released by their employers – high profile members of the police force and their lawyer. Upon their release they become involved in a new scam, developed by their crooked lawyer, which could make them very rich. The old criminal traps of sex and greed rear their head however, producing a cataclysmic reaction. Joining Pearce in a quality Australian cast are Golden Globe winner Rachel Griffiths, Joel Edgerton (The Secret Life of Us), Damien Richardson, Vince Colosimo and Kym Gyngell. The real beauty of this film is that it' obviously Australian. So many Aussie films these days pander to the American market by reducing the Australian identity. However, in The Hard Word we see the back streets of Melbourne and Sydney, the tarmac entrances to the cities and even our nation's obsession with big objects gets a run. There's been no attempt to make the cities and other backdrops more glamorous and therefore less identifiably Australian. The crims in this film live on the edge of their seats, like real criminals everywhere. They are hard men, but with personalities like you and me. Not like the characters we are served in American movies who drive around in flash vehicles, live in mansions and take great delight in getting involved in car chases with police. These guys live in the shade, avoiding confrontation and identification where able. It is this respect for Australia and the determination of the film makers to give The Hard Way some substantive local grit that makes it a successful film, proving that not all Australian movies have to be quirky. Weekly recommended movie: Two Hands (1999) starring Heath Ledger, Bryan Brown, Rose Byrne and Tom Long. If you loved The Hard Word, then this is certainly the movie for you.

With the school holidays coming up, Summer Catch will be the ideal flick to keep the kids occupied. Based around the United States' national past-time, baseball, Summer Catch is a predictable tale about a young up and comer Ryan Dunne, played by Freddie Prinz Jr., wanting to take his chance and head to the big time. Dunne is a star pitcher with a past (sounds like Charlie Sheen's character in Major League) who is wracked with self doubt, mostly caused by his fiery temper. Adding to Dunne's ‘issues' is his relationship with beautiful Tenley Parish (Jessica Biel), a rich girl whose dad doesn't want her involved with a boy from the wrong side of tracks (anyone remember Karate Kid?). Scooby Doo's Matthew Lillard also features in Summer Catch as a fellow baseballer in the middle of hitting crisis. Veteran actors Brian Dennehy and Frank Ward round out the cast. The baseball action plays second fiddle to Dunne's emotional issues and this is to the detriment of the film. Another problem is the wide variety of sub plots that side-track the movie. Prinz has limited acting skills, Biel (who?) just plays the pretty face, while Lillard, who can be a good comic actor, becomes overbearing due to the lack of balance in the rest of the cast. Summer Catch is directed at the same audience that enjoyed Road Trip and the American Pie movies, but has little of the same great humour that made those films successful. Not a total waste of a film but definitely one for a slow day during the school holidays. Weekly recommended rental: Karate Kid (1984) starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elizabeth Shue. Similar story to Summer Catch, but different sport and better acting.