Wonder Watchlist

Cowboy Synopsis: “In New Orleans, war veterans Juno and Mo scrape by on small-time heists, selling their loot to a secretive pawn shop owner. When Juno plans a risky horse theft to fund a fresh start, a rival’s betrayal leads to tragedy and prison. Haunted by his past, he re-enters a woman’s life under a lie, desperate for forgiveness.”

Raindance Film Festival took place last month, celebrating 34 years of showcasing independent filmmaking. This year, Cowboy, from director Nathan Grubbs, was featured in the festival’s Narrative Feature section. A film focused on the intimate story of a man seeking forgiveness for his past, what begins as a slow burn of farmhand tasks develops into a mix of a sad country song’s chorus and the plot of your grandma’s favorite paperback romance novel.

Cowboy begins abruptly, with the film’s main character, Juno (Nathan Grubbs), at a low point in his life. From head to toe, he’s a mess, with his disheveled appearance and obvious need for alcohol. The film opens with him on the run due to his criminal past, weaving between cars to evade gunfire. From stealing livestock from local farmers to grand theft auto, his luck will only go so far. While on site for yet another crime, Juno forever alters the life of a family he intended to steal horses from. Thankfully for the community around him, he ends up in jail for five years, and the film picks back up with him seeking forgiveness for his crimes.

There are moments of Cowboy that are genuinely moving, especially when Juno reconnects with a woman from his past. Both have had their lives changed since they last met. Juno now shuns alcohol and wants to work for what he has. Evangeline (Alexandra Essoe) is a visually impaired farm girl who now takes care of her family’s farm with the little income her benefits allow her. At first, their interactions are reasonably those of strangers, but Evangeline quickly accepts Juno’s offer of helping her around the place. When Grubbs lets these two characters exist in their strange interactions is where Cowboy shines. Their shared brokenness makes their bond become strong, and their chemistry is apparent.

Yet Cowboy becomes a story that resembles a romance novel that you’d see in the book section of a grocery store. And that’s not a bad thing; it just comes somewhat out of nowhere and feels like a misfire. While the actors themselves have a palpable chemistry, it’s just not romantic chemistry. The story goes from mundane tasks being checked off chore lists to date nights at the local fair; it’s a bit jarring. The characters have an obvious age gap, and so do the actors, making Grubbs’ soft approach to their connection come across more like father and daughter rather than lovers.

For the most part, the film is well written and well directed, but most impressive is the way the film is shot. It would be easy to brush this film off as a romance film, but you’d be silly to do so, as you’d miss out on well-shot rodeo action and high-stakes action. Juno is a veteran who has had a rough life, yet he’s quite the bronco rider, as captured by cinematographer Alex Vendler. Being able to capture unpredictable action such as rodeo work is impressive in itself, and it’s seen in each of Vendler’s frames. The film’s opening sequence is really where his work shines, and it paints a perfect picture of someone like Juno.

The film’s biggest issues stem from the tonal shift that happens early on. Cowboy begins as a neon-soaked Western about a man at his lowest, but Grubbs rushes through the film’s best visual and story moments. As quickly as we are swept up in Juno’s crimes, he’s rushed off to prison, and the film picks back up when he’s a completely different person. Sadly, there’s not enough focus on the high-stakes action and the enthralling drama of a life of crime; it instead turns into an unconventional love story. Grubbs’ and the writer’s choice to make the film fall into a romance is a misfire and takes away from his journey of redemption. There’s a moving story about a man who has served his country, who has to fall into a life of crime to survive, but the most compelling moments fall into the background of the overstuffed script.

Overall, Cowboy works well until it doesn’t, and feels like a story that is in its early drafts. But Grubbs gives a moving performance that shows tremendous promise. Its dreamy visuals, showing a peaceful life amidst chaos, keep audiences engaged. Even if the film teeters between being endearing and being a trope, there’s a lot of talent in Grubbs, especially as an actor.

Rating: 3.5/5

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