Saturday, 3 March 2012

The Review - Red Dog

I'm not normally a huge fan of Australian movies. I know - it's terrible. I really should be more supportive of our "homegrown" film industry; but to be honest, 9 out of 10 times Australian movies are about topics that I have zero interest in, or they send up Australia so much (including strong Australian accents and typical bogan mannerisms) that I find them slightly offensive.

So when the movie Red Dog came out in cinemas last year and got genuinely great reviews, I decided that since I was already in Australia on a holiday, I would go check it out with my good friend Paige.

And I have to say it didn't get rave reviews for nothing. Now to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of animal films, because they are inevitably tear jerkers (and this one is no exception to that rule). However, I believe this film  is head and shoulders above all the other animal films I've watched.

Essentially, it's about a dog that became a big part of the mining community in the 1970s in a town named Dampier, which is full of miners from all over the world. 

It's a beautifully shot film, capturing the majesty of the mining region in the top end of Western Australia. Interestingly enough, it was sponsored by a mining company, and thus quite predictably gave a rather rose-tinted outlook on the mining community; however, this in no way spoils the film. It's very well scripted. The characters have depth. It's often hilariously funny. It's fast-paced and simply an enjoyable movie. There is something really genuine about it - maybe because it's based on a true story.















So if you get the chance, you should definitely check this movie out. (Just make sure you have the tissue box handy).



Until next time :)


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