Concrete Cowboy

It is hard not to like or respect the work of Lee Daniels. This coming of age story coupled with the reality of urban blight facing the coming gentrification has all the elements of great filmmaking. It's good to see Idris Elba taking roles that allow the world to see him light years away from his London accent and roots. New star Caleb Mclaughlin gives us more than just a troubled young man coming into maturity and gaining respect for his father and a new perspective on life.. The fact that this is based on real characters in a little known tale about Cowboys in modern day Philadelphia is even more amazing. . If you're looking for a happy ending this may not be for you. But if you're looking for a well produced, directed, written, and edited film don't pass this by.

"There's a horse in your house." hidden gem of the first half of 2021. A film about a young man reconnecting with his father in Philadelphia sounds like it can be a cliched drama. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It tackles a subject not seen much in film, the urban cowboy. On the surface it felt like watching a film about a man learning the cowboy ways but in a ghetto environment.

Caleb McLaughlin shows that he's a talented actor. He gives a fantastic performance as Cole. If he wanted to move away from Stranger Things, I think this performance shows that he has the talent to tackle adult roles. I also like his bond with Idris Elba. At first I wasn't sure if his character had much going on under the surface, but he shines in the second half. He seems like the father figure that can be a good father in the toughest circumstance.

I do wish that the screenplay could've developed Cole's relationship with Smush alot better. I felt like when we get to those scenes, they felt like typical black drama that I've seen before. When we get to Smush's gang life, I felt like the screenplay didn't have enough to develop. Anyway, it doesn't take away too much since the best parts are when Cole is on this self-discovery journey.

If you have Netflix and want to see a cowboy drama from the black perspective, this is worth checking out.

Good film. I wouldn't say excellent or a classic. It is an interesting story, drawing attention to the stables in Philadelphia as well as the dominance of black cowboys. Yeh, no surprises, but it isn't a film for surprises, it's just a sweet tale. It is true, people that know horses may find some parts unrealistic, but what is real, and is shown well in the film, is the bond between horses and people. Anyway, don't go out of your way to find this film, but watch it if you can. PS, I never found it slow or boring. It was well paced and story developed nicely.

At some points the film it is a bit slow but that is part of a modern western so its oké. The film lasted just a bit too long, it could be 10 minutes shorter. Caleb Mclaughlin gives a great performance and he can play drama very well. Idris Elba is not that much in the movie but when he is there he is very good. At a few moments in the film it is very emotional and its inpressive How they handled it. There are a lot of beautiful shots in the movie. Overall its a good movie with tons of great acting but a little to slow and long.

I give the movie a 8/10.

Who would have thought cowboys in Philly and Black no less? Concrete Cowboy is a small Netflix drama about 15-year-old Cole (Caleb McLaughlin) reconnecting with his estranged cowboy dad, Harp (Idris Elba, also producer), in aging stables of Philadelphia, where a group of cowboys have their horses and their identities. Anyone who loved The Rider will find Concrete Cowboy just as interesting about horses and humans, although Cole is much too underdeveloped in this film to compete with Rider's Brady.

Although the film, based on G. Neri's Ghetto Cowboy (2011), has a generous supply of formula for a coming-of- age melodrama, the film infuses enough reality, including real cowboys to play parts, to make an enjoyable introduction to a culture most of us would never have known. Lenser Minka Farthing-Kohl finds beauty photographing the beautiful animals in the blighted 'hood, especially in sol-mo.

The Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club is like no other, a Philadelphia organization for which the film makes no apology for its preaching about a slice of society ignored by pols and the public in general.

The film travels in formula with Cole initially rebellious and then transformed by the horse experience, Harp going soft on the Cole, ignoramuses threatening the cowboy life, etc., well, you get the idea. What keeps it above average is the measured development overseen by director Ricky Staub, whereby incrementally the story reveals good guys and bad, and the cowboys will ride on.

Like Cole and Harp, the story is about finding peace with loved ones and the world, both of which may guide us to a place called home. Even though the characters are outside the normal pale, they are worthwhile, sometimes talented folk who deserve a break. The fact that they are Black, urban cowboys is fascinating and itself a metaphor for repressed minorities everywhere.