Jeito de Cowboy

Ive rewatched a few older movies of late and have sadly been left underwhelmed by most of them. Thankfully The Cowboy Way ended that trend.

Its funny, has some nice action pieces and most importantly kept me properly entertained for the entire movie.

Woody is an absolute star :)

Sort of a buddy action film that's focal point is the rocky relationship between the two main protagonists (who just happen to be modern day cowboys) as they find out just how much they rely on each other. The friendship might consist largely of bickering between the two actors; Woody Harrelson (who mugs it up) and Kiefer Sutherland, but the combination naturally flows and their performances are truly fitting with amusing comical exchanges. And even heartfelt too. Two New Mexico rodeo cowboy friends (strained at that) Sonny and Pepper head to New York City to find a missing friend Nacho and his Cuban immigrant daughter Teresa. What they uncover is that Nacho had got himself in some serious trouble that seems him ending up in a morgue and his daughter working in a sweatshop.

This Hollywood dross is something rather light-weight and blunt with a message to boot. Still rather enjoyable even with its sugar-coating and stereotypical traits. The script throws about priceless dialogues and sets up the situation with aplomb. These characters are right out their comfort zone, but go about getting the job done the cowboy way and going all out. Had me thinking of the 1968 feature "Coogan's Bluff". Atypical but amusing if a little a silly. Some good action set-pieces standout (namely the climatic chase) and you can't beat good dummy work. Flavoured country soundtrack finds its way in. The rest of the performances are acceptable with a likable Ernie Hudson as a horse riding New York cop and Dylan McDermott as the sly criminal behind Nacho's death. Also popping up are Tomas Milan, Marg Helgenberger, Cara Buono and Luis Guzman.

"You cowboys are a dying breed."

I have always enjoyed watching this movie. This and a couple of others pay homage to Kiefer's interest in ranching. In real life, he is a real life cowboy, owning a fairly large ranch. He is truly a multifaceted individual, and this film takes most of its humor from the culture clash between the Ranch lifestyle and the New York City lifestyle. It is the type of conflict you see in more light hearted films such as the City Mouse and the Country Mouse. Interestingly, the country, cowboy lifestyle, while first out of place, ends up dominating those who adhere to the city ethos, and results in unique solutions to bad situations. There is a definite chemistry between Harrelson and Sutherland. One would hope Harrelson would be asked to star in future episodes of "24".

Catching up on Keifer Sutherland films since being mesmerized by his "24" series. This one is lots of fun, as the two cowboys head from New Mexico to New York City to see what happened to their friend, who came from Cuba and is trying to get his daughter to the states. He does but there are complications. The boys are drawn into the sweatshop force labor problem and other unsavory doings. But their bravado and guts save the day. Nothing earth shattering here, but a good ole boy buddy film with two likable guys.

This is by no means the best movie I've ever seen, but I must confess (however guiltily) that I enjoyed it a great deal more than the reviewers I consulted led me to expect I might. -- Kiefer Sutherland and Woody Harrelson are appealing as the two male leads, old rodeo friends who had a major falling out years before but now find themselves teamed up to help an old friend find his daughter. Their adventures in urban New York City are, by turns, humorous and suspenseful. Dylan McDermott demonstrates some considerable acting range as a sleazy weasel. The inevitable chase scene through downtown Manhattan somehow seems fresh and exciting. -- No one will confuse this piece with High Art, but one could spend one's time in worse ways...