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Cowboys And Angels

2003, Movie, NR, 89 mins

Cowboys And Angels: Review

COWBOYS AND ANGELS
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Irish writer-director David Gleeson's sweet-natured coming-of-age story revolves around shy, 20-year-old country-mouse Shane (Michael Legge), who's already resigned himself to life of civil-service drudgery, and the education in life's possibilities he gets at the hands of his stylish new roommate, flamboyantly gay fashion student-about-town Vincent (Alan Leech). Young Shane has been commuting to his dreary office job in Limerick from his parents' suburban home, and is on the prowl for an affordable apartment in town. A chance meeting at an estate agent's office reintroduces him to Vincent, who was a couple of years ahead of Shane at school. Together they can afford a spacious place in a slightly rough neighborhood, which Vincent, on a tight budget, promptly transforms into a marvel of chic design. Vincent, who's in his last year at art college, has a thriving social life, while Shane gets turned away at the door of trendy clubs and nurses an unrequited crush on beautiful Gemma (Amy Shiels), who works at nearby fast-food joint SuperMacs. Though superficially very different, Vincent and Shane become friends; Vincent offers Shane a makeover that will make him a hit with the girls and even introduces him to Gemma, who turns out to be an old friend from art college. Under Vincent's influence, Shane, a talented but untrained artist, begins to consider ditching the civil service and going back to school. But what really changes Shane's so-called life is an accident: He finds a packet of drugs belonging to his neighbor, Keith (David Murray), hidden in a hallway fuse box and returns the goods intact. Keith, impressed with Shane's honesty and guileless look, offers him a lucrative gig picking up goods in Dublin and bringing them back to Limerick. As Shane becomes more deeply entangled in Keith's illicit business, it threatens his friendship with Shane and puts him in serious danger. The basic plot is the stuff of dozens of films about small-town youngsters getting a crash course in the perils of big-city life, but Gleeson's modest feature-film debut gets a boost from the unforced chemistry between Legge and Leech. The fact that Vincent is gay and Shane is straight is an issue without being the focus of their relationship; it's just one of many things that seem to divide them and winds up mattering less than their fundamental values and attitudes. Like the fresh-faced leads, the film is an unexpected charmer. leave a comment --Maitland McDonagh
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