| 100 |
New York Daily News
It's the perfect antidote to overprocessed entertainment, for moviegoers of any age.
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| 100 |
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Gianni Truzzi
Yellow Dog shows Davaa's growing refinement as a filmmaker, and that the success of "Weeping Camel" -- her master's thesis for film school in Munich that became an Oscar nominee -- was fully deserved.
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| 89 |
Austin Chronicle
Josh Rosenblatt
A remarkable movie: touching, honest, and unassuming, without a hint of irony or false motive.
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| 88 |
Chicago Tribune
Children and animals, if they're handled right, can be among the great natural movie actors, and in The Cave of the Yellow Dog, writer-director Byambasuren Davaa handles her cast of youngsters and creatures (and a few adults) heartwarmingly well.
|
| 88 |
TV Guide
Davaa's second fable of animals and the people who love them mixes aspects of ethnographic filmmaking with heart-grabbing story lines that wouldn't be too far out of place in a 1950s live-action Disney feature.
|
| 80 |
Salon.com
It's not a picture with tremendous drama, and the entirely nonprofessional cast is sometimes a little stiff, but on sheer charm, intimacy and the pictorial wonder of its setting in the wide-open Mongolian grasslands, it's one of the family pictures of the year.
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| 75 |
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Writer-director Davaa allows the drama to emerge organically out of the characters, the beautifully captured setting, and the conflict between the past and the present.
|
| 75 |
New York Post
Sweet isn't a word often used to describe movies these days, but it's one that applies to The Cave of the Yellow Dog.
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| 75 |
San Francisco Chronicle
This is a timeless, and nearly plotless, look at the day-to-day life of a nomadic Mongolian shepherding family. Yes, it moves deliberately, and impatient viewers will find it intolerably slow. But those who can get in track with its serene rhythm will be rewarded.
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| 70 |
Village Voice
At times the film's Buddhist lessons feel a bit forced, but the naturalistic performances Davaa has coaxed from a real-life Mongolian family, and her intimate understanding of their culture and values, give this sensitive portrayal its heft.
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| 70 |
LA Weekly
The Cave of the Yellow Dog has an abundance of gentle humor, much of it provided by an adorably scruffy toddler, but there's also impressive strength and wisdom in the family's uncomplaining, shoulder-to-the-wheel approach to the world.
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| 70 |
Los Angeles Times
Davaa has made a sweetly meditative film.
|
| 60 |
The Hollywood Reporter
The film offers fascinating glimpses of a hardworking but unhurried way of life, though it doesn't have the powerful dramatic hook of "The Story of the Weeping Camel."
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| 60 |
Variety
Davaa's strong visual sense, engaging cast and respect for basic film grammar make this slim exercise in managed reality go the distance.
|
| 50 |
The New York Times
The dog is cute, the children are adorable, and the earth and the sky seem to stretch on without limit in The Cave of the Yellow Dog. Unfortunately, so does the slight story.
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| 50 |
Chicago Reader
Despite the exotic locale and the photogenic moppets, that's not enough for a satisfying movie.
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