Les cowboys

For many reasons, it is the film of the last scenes. Because it represents more vehicle for different states of soul, emotions, questions, a spoon of tension than a story itself. A man, his son and a mission who seems totaly vain. Death, pain, murder, a young woman and her killed husband, a shop and the answer desired so intense.

A film reminding the fine art of Finnegan Oldfield. And a sort of use of light who seems transforming the time in clay.

Punters comparing"Les Cowboys," directed and co-written by Thomas Bidegain, to John Ford's classic western The Searchers are dreaming. A more accurate comparison, might be with an episode of the 50's TV series Father Knows Best, but with a gender role reversal. But if Agathe Dronne's Nicole Balland had become the central character and listened to, we would have had a much shorter picture, which in many ways, may have been a better thing.

Where the Ford parallel is most obvious, is with both films' focus on the obsessiveness of their central characters' search for family members over long periods of time. Ford's Ethan Edwards looks for his kidnapped niece, while Bidegain's father and son combo, search for 16 year old daughter Kelly, who has enigmatically disappeared after attending a French cowboy fair with her family. Nicole and the police appear generally happy that nothing untoward has occurred. But father Alain and vicariously (apparently) brother Kid, just can't let it go, even after the arrival of a brief letter from Kelly stating she is OK and wants to start an independent new life.

Les Cowboys is a film with more red herrings on show, than tinned fish cans on a supermarket's shelves. Twists turns and dead ends appear in the narrative which rather than build suspense and tension are frustratingly seemingly included to propel the plot along in myriad directions without any substantial pay - off. Alain's countless visits to various dubious intermediaries, including one to a gypsy camp where he behaves appallingly with unsurprising results. A Ministry representative's visit to the Ballard home, where little is spoken by any party. Kid's dalliance with a girlfriend in Afghanistan from whom he just walks away and then his odd meeting and throwing in with a shady American operator played by John C. Reilly, which almost seems as if it should be part of another movie.

Les Cowboys is not a total write - off. The acting is by and large quite good, though Finnegan Oldfield delivers a strangely, one note performance, as the adult Kid/Georges. This is probably under direction, but we end up none the wiser why after so many years he is still pursuing a sibling, who doesn't wish to be found, nor why his father Alain, dragged him around on some of their earlier escapades. Worthy of notice is the second half appearance of Ellora Torchia as Shazhana, who succeeds in creating the most interesting and sympathetic character in the story. The final scenes in Belgium are also quite well - handled, compared to much of the earlier storyline. Think Zodiac, without the air of menace.

Not so much as The Searchers, Les Cowboys attempts to deliver an epic family love story spanning a couple of continents and decades. But this is one long, uneven, plodding journey with characters who are undeveloped and who we are just not drawn too. Ultimately, if we are honest, one just has to ask the question, as to why didn't any one listen to the mother, who was obviously dialled in from the start. She definitely knew best.

A young woman slips away into the night while her family is preoccupied at their beloved country western fair. "Don't look for me," she writes "I have the life I have chosen now." Her father and brother search anyway, across continents and time. The girl's father is particularly obsessed with the search. He throws his life and savings into the pursuit, learns Arabic and travels to the ends of the earth at the slightest hint of her whereabouts. "Forget about your daughter," he is told "go back home and take care of your son." Yet the father sees nothing else beyond the chase. This blinding, relentless pursuit comes with severe consequences. It consumes them, these cowboys - these men and women from scattered lands, if they cannot let go. Some can let go, others cannot. Some get second chances.

Intriguing themes of Les Cowboys include letting go and the search for purpose and empathy (or lack thereof) in life. The wonderful cinematography and soundtrack of the film deftly convey emotion. Excellent screen writing; Bidegain is a screen writer turned director. His writing/co-writing credits include films I admire; A Prophet, Rust and Bone, and Dheepan. John C. Reilly makes a surprise appearance.

I saw this film with no knowledge of it beforehand, and it was a great surprise.

The film's look and feel is beautiful, reminding me of Rust and Bone in tone and feel. The score and soundtrack also suitably served the film, reminding me of the score for 'Seven' in places, the ominous strings swell and suggest the dread and uncertainty that the family are going through as their lives unravel. And then there's the subject matter, which in this day and age is very hard to tackle especially in the current climate.

This is a thoughtful and beautiful film that touches on a very complex issue and is expertly paced. A real treat.

This film starts in 1994 when we meet father and husband Alain Deland who is a lover of all things American – especially both their kinds of music – Country and Western. His family seem more than happy to participate in the group outings too and from an outsiders perspective they are a perfect nuclear family. Then on a day when they are having a festival his daughter goes missing.

What at first seems to be a case of abduction, or indeed worse, take on a different hue when she decides to contact them. That is when the story takes a massive U turn and nothing is as it should be. This is a remake of 'The Searchers' which is one of the best westerns ever made and this take – though original – is far removed from the sheer timeless beauty of the original John Ford classic

Now this starts off fairly light hearted at the beginning but it soon gets very dark very quickly – which is like the original. That is where the similarities end. It does have a bristling, brooding quality that makes it very compelling. It is a hard watch in places and that is in part due to the energy that Francois Damiens brings as the grieving father. This is a film that deals with difficult themes in a realistic way and is both well aced, directed, written and is for fans of Gallic cinema.