By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Thomas Bidegain
Starring: Agathe Dronne | Djemel Barek | Ellora Torchia | Finnegan Oldfield | François Damiens | John C.Reilly
Country: france
Year: 2016
Running time: 104
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4165920/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Bruce says: “Having written the screenplays for RUST AND BONE, DHEEPAN, and SAINT LAURENT Thomas Bidegain is no outsider dabbling in film. He directs his first film with the hand of a master. The acting, editing, cinematography and use of music are exceptional. Heavily inspired by John Ford’s THE SEARCHERS, LES COWBOYS is beguiling in many ways. At first glance it appears to be a simple story about a father going to extremes to find a sixteen-year-old daughter who has disappeared from an American style country and western, two-stepping jamboree. Alain (François Damiens) is cheered onto the stage to sing ‘Tennessee Waltz’ and leaves mid-song to dance with his daughter Kelly (Iliana Zabeth). That is the last time he sees her. Neighbors, friends, classmates, and police – even the Department of the Interior – join the efforts to find her. A letter arrives. Kelly has run away with Ahmed, a boyfriend her parents have never met. Alain obsessively pursues every lead, every hunch, taking his son Georges (Finnegan Oldfield) on many of the journeys. As the film progresses, years pass and the searchlight is handed from father to son, LES COWBOYS expands from a small rural French village story to one of global breadth.
“Both men seem to be searching for more than a missing daughter or sister. Yes, they loved her. However, neither man has a life that is inwardly satisfying. The father has a failed marriage and the son hasn’t a clue where he fits into the universe. Are they running from something or searching for answers to broader questions? As the search moves from France to Belgium, Yemen and Pakistan it is usually unclear exactly where the action is taking place. Disarming at first, the viewer’s feeling of being lost is very much in step with what the protagonists are experiencing.
“LES COWBOYS handles the topic of cultural diversity and confusion on multiple levels. Ahmed’s family lives in the same village but in isolation from the French cultural norm. His parents are decent people. Many others are obviously peaceful. Yet as Kelly’s fate becomes more evident, every follower of Islam is now suspicious. For Westerners, Islam used to be exotic or mysterious.
“The American West was revered for its individualism, pioneer spirit and its dogged determination. John C. Reilly appears as an American soldier of fortune on the outskirts of the Pakistani frontier. He trusts no one. His expertise lies in tracking down kidnapped Westerners. He trades gold for human flesh. Shades of the Wild West. How American is that? America’s pervasive influence on the world is a running theme in the film. Whether Bidegain focuses on cowboy boots, bounty hunting or television coverage of the attack on the World Trade Center, American presence is a constant factor. 5 cats”