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.

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!

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!!