Les Cowboys

It took me a while to get used to the manner in which the story is told, which unnoticeably skipped forward in time sometimes by years so that it could tell the complex story all the way to the end. While watching the movie, I once again confirmed my idea that France is at this moment the most active country when it comes to gearing up against the Muslims. It might actually be the last thing they can do about the situation in their country. And in this one, they definitely didn’t fuck around, you gotta give them that. Nevertheless, I tip my hat off to the director for not being afraid to squeeze about 20 years of plot into the almost two hours the movie takes and for managing to tell the story not only in France, but also in the Near East and include in it a significant American actor, who enters the movie in an interesting manner only to step away from it inconspicuously. If it weren’t for some lengthy scenes, I would have given a five-star review. But I only realized that at the end because the ending totally killed me. Finally, another French movie that did its job the way it was supposed to. (10/22/2016)

Les Cowboys is one of the many variations on the theme of family breakdown. Underage Kelly disappears in the midst of a public celebration and her parents discover that it is due to a romance with a young Muslim man who flirts with fundamentalism. Running away from home is supposed to solve the conflict between the mundane world of the parents and the idealized world of the Islamic community, living according to the best traditions of the Muslim community. The couple disappears in the chaotic terrain of scattered Islamic groups throughout Europe. While the mother quickly comes to terms with her daughter's voluntary departure and is able to look forward to her grandchildren, whom she has never seen, the search for his daughter becomes an obsession for the father. He sacrifices friends, his wife, belongings, and his entire support system in his quest to rescue her from the clutches of the seducer. The first part, told from the father's perspective, is realistic, bitter, and compelling – with the underlying message that the least sympathetic character is the arrogant, frustrated, and violent father, who behaves like a bull in a china shop. Bin Laden would undoubtedly be a more pleasant companion, and Mullah Omar might have more empathy. In the second part, the son takes on his father's mission, and the story moves to the remote regions of the Middle East, specifically the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where the frequently mentioned words are Al-Qaeda, Taliban, and Jihad. This part of the film is more visually appealing, but at the same time, in many ways significantly less credible and clearly forced. The speed at which Kid, who is approached by a specialist in negotiating kidnapping victims, becomes his companion must elicit at least a minimal level of awareness in those familiar with how delicate and dangerous the environment is, where a single mistake can destroy months of effort and, at most, elicit an understanding smile. Les Cowboys is part of the current of French cinema that attempts to grapple with the new ethnic and multicultural situation in France. It may not be entirely convincing, but it does at least raise new questions. Personally, I had a problem with the film's fragmented storytelling, with leaps of several years, and I couldn't help but feel that the most important things were being resolved off-camera. There are a number of titles that deal with similar issues more successfully artistically and thematically. I would instead recommend Not Without My Daughter, Horses of God, and many others. Overall impression: 55%. (09/12/2018)

Another slightly different pose of a French film, which is more serious, more international, and beautifully timeless in this case. You are watching a western that takes place in the present and emphasizes current global issues, but at the same time, it is just the search for one person. It had its quiet moments, but the French also know how to handle a serious tone. I only say this because recently I have mostly seen French comedies. (04/01/2016)