Concrete Cowboy

Well I guess maybe a little bit ... wordplay and jokes aside, this is quite the powerful coming of age story. With social message and issues on the forefront. And quite the performances to boost! And while you sort of expect that from the main man Idris Elba, you might be surprised by his son (in a positive way that is).

But there is another man who doesn't get enough credit for his acting: Method Man! While mostly in smaller roles, his charisma and his acting ability are on a high level and he always helps a movie he's a part of. Of course he is better known as rapper, but that doesn't mean he can't be known for both things. Some people are just gifted like that.

But as I said, this is more about the kid ... and his journey - no pun intended. Really well made drama, with a touch of Western mixed into it (as the title obviously suggests of course).

"Alma de Cowboy" lindo e sensível filme no Netflix. Se você, como eu, gosta de cavalos, saiba que existem Cowboys no meio da cidade em Filadélfia! Sim, até hoje! Idris Elba mandou muito bem como ator e produtor desse filme. Super recomendo. Beautiful and sensitive film on Netflix. If you, like me, love horses, know that there are Cowboys in the middle of the city in Philadelphia! Yes, even today! Idris Elba nailed it as an actor and producer for this film. I highly recommend it. #movieslover #netflix.

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.

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.

As an African American who grew up in rural adjacent Mississippi (Memphis Metro), went to graduate school in Philly, and currently lives in DC, I appreciated the mash up of so many different worlds in this film, despite the clumsiness of the overall storyline.

Also, Philadelphia is such an interesting and diverse city! I enjoyed learning about the Fletcher Street cowboys, but viewers aren't really given a snapshot into much else in the city except for drugs and violence. That's really a shame considering Philly's amazing food scene, mural arts, rich music tradition, etc.