Mercifully, 20 seconds into the travelogue footage that opens this light, entertaining romp, any queaziness that one had about the title ( a tad PELECEHAN) is dispelled with Lawrence Blair's adoring and concise summary of the world's most gorgeous culture, to the strains of Strauss' "Thus SPake Thora Struth Mate"(2001/Airplane 2/Kate Middleton's fashion show. In fact, with this tenderly crafted documentary Blair, now sporting a Burberry patch and his trademark perma-tan (NIVEA "SUmmer Glow" a wag once told me), is now the alternate David Attenborough without a doubt. It was mean, however, at last night's elegant all-Star gauche caviar Gala at the snazzy THE LEGIAN (the Hardies AND the Orchards on one tea lawn...free flow by MJ), the way he dispatched Dean Tolhurst as someone who does "clever things with the camera" when in fact Mr Tolhurst is a competent director-producer devoted, like Blair, to making meaningful; documentaries in Indonesia. WHo knows? One day they may suceed! No, but in all seriousness, this pooche-piece is well concieved ,and lovingly shot , if poorly researched (they need, as a team, to get better cultural advisers in Bali to avoid clangers). The film is for the most part about the foibles of Balinese scavenger street dogs and the white women who administer to them lovingly .....but with little on the loving relationship between man and master inside a Balinese home ( to be explored in WIdji Wienberg's coming "It's a dog's life " starring Lassie Laserawati) and the pivitol role the house dog has in a Balinese garden ---the flash mob factor --and at times of ceremonies when he sits at the PEDANDA's feet. Tolhurst and Blair's film, while entertaining, showed just the sensational --the scabies and the Strictnine(sp?) --side of the canine equation. I wish the map showing the introduction of the (Asia Major) dog to S.E.Asia, and into Australia(the dingo) and the Pacific, and all the excellent footage of the world experts on that migration was more towards the front of my film. The myth(?) that the dogs and the Bali cow arrived with wet rice cultivation and the proto Malays(?) from Yunnan/Formosa should perhaps have been discussed. And why five(?) different coloured dogs skins ---particularly the magic tabby "BLANG BUNGKEM" much adored by the Balinese --are needed for certain ground-spirit appeasement rituals(CARU). The section on the KINTAMANI dogs was excellent and the deftly handled sniffer-dog section. Way to go, Larry Baby!! Keep up the great work Dean!!
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Comment:
Pintor Sirait love your review mbakApril 17 at 11:36am ·
Meg Gilmour Any chance a Balinese tabby skinned dog will be entered in Crofts this year -I hear on the canine fanciers circuit that a Kintamani hound found much favour with the crowd last year ??
Sophia Anastasia So you were a tad disappointed about the content, found huge gaps in documentation but were pleased with the visuals though you think the sensation-ride is a bit cheap? Well, we're waiting for Widji's version of the Balinese dog in the Balinese compound -or was that a joke?- Meg Gilmour Now that the gauntlet has been thrown down I can't wait for what's coming ..but all that aside I have always admired Lawrence Blair's work so I look forward to this -I hope we see it on a network here in Australia soon...
Laura van Wieringen I remember at time when you told me this was Carole's Bali thesis.- Sophia Anastasia But, seriously, I think you've used a lot of words and derivations to diplomatically circumnavigate your utmost flat criteria: it moved, it had colour, so it was good.
AaPoetra Anapoe Baligood-Bali The Island of God 'kok doG 'sich?Bali Sribu Puræ-kok Bali Bom Satu-Bom'2 sich.. Bali The Paradise 'kok Bali Neraka 'sich?Bali Banyak Libur 'kok dikasi KERJA'an nggak2 'Yeach..*anapoe*
Rio Helmi Sekadi baos ring gumin Buleleng: "Peh nas k....g, cicing cai! Jeg dueg gati mekongkong..."April 21 at 12:10pm ·- Rio Helmi @made - maksudne cicing dueg gati mekong-kong. Sube terkenal ungkapan model kitu di Buleleng, anggaplah akrab :)April 21 at 1:28pm ·
- Rio Helmi @Made BTW your "It's a Dog's Life" cap jempol. WHo's that Widji babe...?April 21 at 1:29pm ·
- Rio Helmi Beh mule kewah ngelawan inan infotainment Br Bule nenenan. Né tunian te dong nyacad, rage ngutip 'base' Buleleng, hasil observasi antropologi. SUbe ketu i rage taen sing rayu Bli Made - nyah ati: dije kal bedahné hasil rayuan keto. Kwale pasti ade nak lian sane dot gen Ni Widji Koncreng Susilawati...April 22 at 10:00am ·
Widji Wienberg I'll give you "koncreng" ya big macho-biksu wakakakakaka....rayuang saddiz abiz nae cepok ---nyen tawang, beruntung...... Hit da jackpot, beib.April 22 at 1:08pm ·
