Dingo (1991) User Reviews

Miles Davis got me first , and Colin Friels role locked me in

[AncientWind · 8/10 · 28 December 2005]

I won't fight with Phil Kafcaloudes synopsis of the movie, its spot on, I just wanted to add my comment on the final jazz scene in Paris.

Every time i have described that scene to friends and all, I cry. Tears of joy mind you,

Reason? Its because of the look on Colin Friels' face,

a kid in candyland for the first time, maybe, you can see he is in seventh heaven , the only dream he ever had is coming true in front of us the movie audience and in front of the live audience in the Paris club,

The moment just takes you to a special place of powerful emotions of Happiness.

what can i say? i cry at movies , so sue me!! grin

p.s. this is ridiculous even writing a comment has made me cry!!

Bit slow and dated but beautiful

[dent-7 · 8/10 · 25 February 2015]

This was on SBS TV recently in Australia and is still listed on SBS on Demand http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/369526339639/dingo as of Feb 2015

I'm a country boy, although growing up in the South-West of Western Australia is nowhere near as remote as the countryside shown in the movie.

Still, I could relate to that music, in that setting, as the perfect eerie accompaniment to the land's empty indifference.

The reviewers who have said it is unrealistic because of the lack of Aboriginal characters are wrong - I counted at least four in the background of the 1969 scene - look for the pink shirt and the guy in the blue tank-top behind the kids at the airport.

The Australian characters are absolutely spot-on, not the caricatures of Croc Dundee.

Sublime

[safenoe · 8/10 · 12 February 2023]

The late and legendary Miles Davis is the guest star in Dingo, and all credit for the director in bringing Miles on board. Colin Friels is the main star as he idolizes international jazz figure Billy Cross (played by Miles Davis). Colin plays John Anderson and he gets quite a lot of ribbing from the out back locals who mock his jazz ambitions.

Dingo is sadly an underrated movie that should be more acclaimed and viewed. Anyway, Dingo is a movie to savour, to appreciate and acknowledge one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

They don't make movies like this anymore so Dingo is definitely worth a viewing or two.

A breathing testament to the outback, passion and music

[Kafca · 10/10 · 11 July 1999]

In many ways, "Dingo" can be thought of as a thinking-person's Crocodile Dundee. It tells the story of a young man who has lived in the Australian bush all his life, and had a cathartic moment at age 12 when veteran jazz-blues trumpeter Billy Cross (Miles Davis) lands his plane on the local airstrip and plays an impromptu jazz session. As Cross is about to leave, the boy tells him that the music is the best thing he'd ever heard. Cross then says that if the boy is ever in Paris, he should look him up. Twenty years later, and the boy has become a trumpeter who has always remembered this invitation. His wife and friends tell him he'll never get to Paris. The movie follows the man's passions, and with a spaciousness and sparcity that fits in well with the glorious outback. Colin Friels is perfect for the role.. playing the bush-bred trumpet-playing 'dogger' who is constantly after a dingo who will not be caught.. just as in his own life, he hangs onto that twenty-year old dream of going to Paris. In Paris there is salvation, both for him and the aging, damaged Billy Cross (played minimally, but effectively, by Davis). And the jam in the Paris nightclub must rank as one of the great filmed sessions in Jazz history. If you love jazz or blues, you must see this film. If you love the Australian bush, or wish to understand it, you must see this film. If you are in neither category, see it anyway.

An undiscovered little gem

[happyjeen · 13 August 2002]

Sadly this film is an undiscovered little gem, it was not widely shown in the United States. Anyone who loves jazz, Miles Davis especially, will wish to see it. But you do not have to like jazz to like this film, nor do you have to be a fan of Australian films to like this film!

It is wonderfully done, a real shame it did not reach wider audiences. One outstanding performance - although a small one in the film - is Hans Meyer as the owner of a Paris jazz club.

inspiring and a comment about Australian Film critics and Oscars

[jimibrowncat · 10/10 · 1 August 2015]

If there was an 11 I would score 11. I love this film I have watched it dinned out on it sung about it turned people onto it for years! In a strange parrallel I'm living out my own version of Dingo due to my admiration for the film/story/characters. This is without doubt my favourite Australian film and nobody knows about it! It's going to be a time capsual thing 100 years from now a new generation and all that jazz.

What the film also represents is the maypole that highlights the seemingly corrupt? Inept, commercially driven world of the Australian film critic ....Correct me if I'm wrong David and Margaret take a bow here....this film got completely ignored !?!? WTF! Even the Oscars snubbed it because the paperwork was filled out incorrectly. Bless. In a way it's fitting like a pure and perfect M.Davis note. There is no mistaking that this is his love/life letter to his fans , he is the man, it's his only film role he also passed just before film got distribution. I wonder if that mucked up the press junket's. Shame on you film critics and long live hope and striving for your dreams. I hope you get there!

Great Miles performance

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 25 March 2022]

John Anderson (Colin Friels) has a passion for jazz, which will find him travelling from the outback Western Australia to the jazz clubs of Paris where he hopes to meet his idol trumpeter Billy Cross (Miles Davis).

Probably the best part of this movie is the opening, as Davis and his band play a set on a remote airstrip in the Australian outback as the locals watch.

This film has some basis in reality, as Australia's best jazz saxophonist Bernie McGann would often leave his mailman job to practice out in the wild.

Directed by Rolf de Heer (Bad Boy Bubby) and written by Marc Rosenberg, who had worked with de Heer on Encounter at Raven's Gate, this is one of the last filmed performances of Davis, who also scored the film along with Michel Legrand.

I Cannot Believe That This Film Only Has 4 Reviews.

[mrjlkelly · 10/10 · 14 October 2013]

I have an old VHS copy of this film and I haven't had a VHS player for more than a decade. I'm not even sure if this ever came out on DVD, I've never seen it in a video shop and I have looked through many. This movie is kind of like an Outback Australian Sci-Fi Jazz Road Trip, brought to you by the man who blessed us with Bad Boy Bubby. The opening scene when Miles Davis lands his space ship (commercial airliner?!?!!), in the desert and proceeds to blow fragile rural minds to smithereens with an awesome array of Jazz Fusion is priceless. I pray to the almighty gods of Jazz that they might one day release this fine film in a format befitting cinema as far out as this.

Dingo is now available in DVD and Blu-ray - Umbrella Entertainment

[mrcrsnbrg · 10/10 · 26 February 2021]

I wrote this film and am proud that so many people can relate to Dingo's quest. A little dream can go a long way.

Wonderful film, about achieving dreams-oh, and jazz too

[ml-imdb-com · 10/10 · 16 October 2014]

I loved this movie - partly as a story about jazz, and jazz musicians. Along this line, it couldn't have been better than to star Miles Davis. Knowing nothing of Miles' private life, I wouldn't be in the least surprised to hear the portrayal of Billy Cross was mostly autobiographical. If it had been a non-musical actor, the movie would still be entirely worthwhile. With Miles, Michelle Legrand and Chuck Finley, the music could only be of the highest caliber and indeed, was.

However, regardless of the jazz aspect, the point of my review is that this is not just a jazz movie. There are several subplots, which are about people, each of whom has a dream (a goal dream, not a sleep dream). At one point, this is even brought up in the dialog, though it's left appropriately unanswered. The movie follows their lives towards these dreams. In some characters these dreams are, shall we say, past.

And of course the scenery, the Australian outback and the streets of Paris is wonderful. The soundtrack includes the background sound of these places, so different yet helps us to see what is shared.

When this movie came out it had a one day run in Seattle. What a shame that it was so brief.

Its been toooo long since I saw this.....it simply blows me away.

[gtph-34140 · 9/10 · 6 October 2019]

Brialliant ..always. I ONLY WISH I COULD DOWNLOAD IN AUST.?? ANYBODY??

excellent (if you're a miles fan)

[rmp · 31 December 1998]

the only problem, I and others noticed, was the exclusion of Australian Aborigines. The film depicts the outback Nullabor townships as consisting of just white people. Therefore the authenticity was ruined somewhat.