THREE NEEDLES (SEVILLE PICTURES, 2005)

By Rick Jackson

In this episodic drama about AIDS, writer/director Thom Fitzgerald brings a sense of urgency to do something in addressing the global epidemic which has affected the Third World. Underneath the separate stories, it is the sheer humanity and concern to actually work at this resolve that underscores the need for us to react positively.

Set in China, Canada and Africa, we are introduced to a young novice and aspiring actor in Canada who is given needles, and a man who returns home to be circumcised for he believes it will mean his growth to manhood.

The most impressive of the three is the one in Africa. Chloe Sevigny plays Clara, a nun who wants to help the natives. You learn for anyone who wants to give blood, they have to be at least 12 years old and up and healthy. Each blood donor makes $500.00 and there is a continuuing need for blood products.

Safe sex is not practiced here and superstitions among the Africans make it impossible to do all that is needed. Asisting Clara are nuns Mary (Sandra Oh) and Hilde (Olympia Dukakis). They all help the young white doctors in their struggle against the AIDs epidemic.

One of the sub-plots involves the nuns with Mr. Hallyday, the plantation owner who manipulates the situation since he has the money and power to make a difference. Clara offers herself as a sex slave for him in exchange for the supplies the hospital needs.

In China, you meet Jin Ping (Lucy Liu), who travels from one rural village to another seeking anyone who can give blood. When she meets a rich farmer named Tong Sam (Tanabade Cholepikaltong), he uses his influence to try and find a solution to the AIDS there after his wife and child fall ill as a result of unsanitary conditions while giving blood.

Back in Canada, Shawn Ashmore plays Denny who supports his parents by pursuing a porno acting career. Stockard Channing plays her mother Olive and she doesn't know about her son's chosen profession. The gravity of his situation becomes apparent when he hides his negative test results for AIDS from everyone.

The plot threads move back and forth among the three stories which tell us how wide the AIDS pandemic can quickly develop. Although not all the characters are fleshed out like they should, it is important to remember the overall theme and the efforts to deal with it. Each example in the three countries delineates the problems inherent in finding a cure, and it is not easy to find one due to the increasing financial and political problems of this health crisis.

Tom Harting's stunning cinematography, especially in Africa, shows the irony of such a beautiful country faced with the inability to fight due to the ignorance of the population and its far reaching problem which is overwhelming.

The performances by Sevigny, Oh, and Dukakis show the difficulties in a bad situation getting worse with Sevigny's role symbolic of the acts of desperation in convincing those who are in position to do more to help.

Roberts plays Mr. Hallyday with the same cunning and resourcefulness as any villain and it's Fitzgerald's fault in letting him turn a nun against her own strict morals.
Not knowing the basis for his thinking for this, it's hard to know if it was based on fact or not.

Despite its plodding pace, Three Needles manages to succeed in bringing across the gravity of the world's AIDs epidemic. Dukakis' narration helps keep it in focus.

March 11, 2006

Copyright 2006 Rick Jackson