‘Sleeping Dogs’ on Two

Press, 26 May 1983, Page 13

‘Sleeping Dogs’ on Two

Roger Donaldson’s “Sleeping Dogs,” today’s Mid-day Movie on Two, stars Sam Neill as Smith, a man on the run. Accidentally caught between two powers, a repressive government and a violent resistance movement, he becomes a man alone, hunted, driven by his will to survive. Basked on C. K. Stead’s novel, “Smith’s Dream,” “Sleeping Dogs” is set in present-day New Zealand. • Strikes, riots, and rationing have caused Prime Minister Volkner to set up antiterrorist militia called

“Specials” whose task is to restore law and order. Smith’s nightmare begins when he innocently becomes involved in the suppression of dissidents by the “Specials.” Smith, slow to anger, scornful of politics and causes, is oblivious to the mounting storm around him until he has to fight to survive. After starring in “Sleeping Dogs” Sam Neill became an international star after appearing in Gillian Armstrong’s film, “My Brilliant Career.” In Hollywood, Neill made the third

film in the “Omen” trilogy, “The Final Conflict,” and, more recently, he starred with Isabelle Adajani in “Obsession.” His television credits include a television drama series, “Reilly,” which is about a famous British spy. “Sleeping Dogs” also stars lan Mune as Bullen and a Hollywood star, Warren Oates, as Colonel Willoughby. Oates, a craggyfaced character actor who also starred in “The Wild Bunch” and “In the Heat of the Night,” died in April of last year.