RED DOG Australian family-comedy-drama, directed by Kriv Stenders, written by Louis de Bernières, starring Josh Lucas, Noah Taylor, Keisha Castle-Hughes. 92 min. Rated PG.

The highest-grossing Australian film of 2011 and recently voted one of Australia’s top 10 films of all time. Based on Louis de Bernières’ ("Captain Correlli’s Mandolin") novella, "Red Dog" chronicles the real-life travels of a much-loved dog through western Australia's Pilbara region in the 1970s. In the newly established mining town of Dampier, miners, steelworkers, crawler excavator drivers come from all over the world. When the sun goes down, these straight-talking grafters make their way to the local watering hole where they drink, reminisce and have a good old brawl. But one particular night, things are somewhat quieter than usual. In the back room a dog is drawing its last breath. And this isn’t just any old dog - this is Red Dog, a dog everybody knows and loves and about whom everyone has a story to tell.

Opening with a shot of Dampier's Mermaid hotel and closing with a fading view of the outback, the cinematography shows the Pilbara in all its glory. In a time when the market in family films is dominated by studio CGI blockbusters, it is a refreshing surprise to find a beguiling work from an idea that goes all the way back to the adventures of Lassie and Tin Tin.

“In the tradition of films such as semi-fictionalised "The Castle," it's a hilarious and occasionally sad look at a side of Australian life whose essence is rarely captured with such affectionate accuracy.” — Giles Anderton, The Guardian