The Cave Of The Yellow Dog review

Reviews

Jun 30th 2006 By Total Film

Girl finds dog. Girl takes dog home. Girl’s family thinks dog will bring them bad luck. Um, and that’s about it... What you have to bear in mind when you watch this pseudo-doc is that it’s not really about the dog; it’s about Mongolia’s nomadic tribespeople and the way they live their lives. We see cheese being pressed and cut, candles being lit for ancestral spirits, dung being collected for fuel... all terribly worthy as a record of an endangered way of life, but it’s hardly a thrilling premise for a movie. It’s also paced so languidly by director Byambasuren Davaa (The Story Of The Weeping Camel) that it’s only saved by the central performances, which are as natural as the landscape. As the dog’s best friend, adorable six-year-old Nansal Batchuluun will steal your heart away with her cute determination. Oh, and the dog’s not bad, either.