'Yellow Dog' appealing

THE CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG — *** — Nansal Batchuluun, Batchuluun Urjindorj; in Mongolian, with English subtitles; not rated, probable PG (violence, vulgarity).

"The Cave of the Yellow Dog" and other recent films suggest that the Asian movie industry is actually better at producing family fare than Hollywood studios.

While this low-key, naturalistic drama from Mongolia may not reach the heights of Chinese director Zhang Yimou's 1999 films "Not One Less" and "The Road Home" — arguably the finest films in the recent Asian "renaissance" — it is a simple story told simply and very well.

"The Cave of the Yellow Dog" refers to a stray dog that has been adopted by Nansal (Nansal Batchuluun), the oldest daughter of a nomadic farmer and shepherd (Batchuluun Urjindorj). While the lonely youngster is glad to have a new pet/best friend, her father isn't happy that she's shirking her household duties to play with the dog.

He's also afraid that the pooch may have led wolves to their door — quite literally — his assumption being that the dog has been living in the wild, and wolves may come to prey on the family's animal herd.

In some ways, the story shares parallels with "Lassie." And much of its appeal has to do with the onscreen relationship between the girl and the dog. Young Batchuluun is very appealing, and the canine is a real scene-stealer.

To reinforce the film's realism, screenwriter/director Byambasuren Davaa ("The Story of the Weeping Camel") has used real-life nomads and other amateurs, including the girl, to fill out his cast. And Batchuluun's real-life family plays her family in the film.

Thanks to some ace photography, the beautiful Mongolian wilderness also has a strong presence.

"The Cave of the Yellow Dog" is not rated but would probably receive a PG for violence (a bit of nonbloody animal slaughter and some wildlife violence), a scene of peril and some mildly vulgar dung humor. Running time: 93 minutes.

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