Heavens Burning (DVD, Canadian)

Russell Crowe stars in this excitingly original and offbeat Australian crime thriller. When a dispassionate newlywed Midori (Youki Kudoh) leaves her Japanese businessman husband Yukio (Kenji Isomura) she fakes her own kidnapping and inadvertently draws the attention of the international media and the police. But soon she is the victim of a real kidnapping when she witnesses a failed bank robbery and is taken hostage. When the gang attempts to execute her their driver Colin (Russell Crowe) betrays his tenuous allegiance and rescues Midori--and in the process kills one of the gang members. Soon Colin and Midori are on the run through the Australian outback with the cops the gang of Middle Eastern bank robbers and Midori's jilted homicidal husband all hot on their trail. With a playfully macabre mix of dark humor and underworld violence reminiscent of the films of the Coen brothers and Quentin Tarantino HEAVEN'S BURNING is a classic crime drama filled with wry humor local color and an explosive climax--an absoulte must-see for all Russell Crowe fans.