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.

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.

I think that this movie will never be fully appreciated by the casual viewer, because we can't even imagine how these people are living. I really needed to get used to this way of living, just as much as are protagonist. That makes the movie so odd and strange in the beginning, but after we get to see how much these characters care about their horses, I was fully on board. On a technical level, it's fantastic. The score and soundtrack fit really well to the story and the cinematography makes the movie at times look stunning. On an exceptional level however it lacks focus. The concept as a whole is really interesting, but I think the movie focuses too much on the troubling son negative. That storyline has been done so many times now, that it makes it so predictable. The movie is at his best, when the actual cowboys and stables are one screen. They are just so interesting and entertaining. Their way of living and seeing the rest of the world just intrigues me. It's just a waste that it focuses a lot on predictable storylines. But if you can look past the predictability of the movie, there is still a lot to enjoy.

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).

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.