Review of Cowboys & Angels

COWBOYS AND ANGELS is a cute but somewhat forgettable coming-of-age movie that features a predictable premise of two men sharing a flat in Limerick -- one gay, one straight -- with an unconventional storyline. Shane (Michael Legge) is a twenty something Irishman who leaves his small town to make it big in the art world but lands a thankless, blue-collar job that does nothing for him. There he meets Vincent (Allen Leech), a stylish gay man who is appalled at Shane's lack of style. A friendship between then ensues, and the inevitable make-over takes place. However, the movie is interested in taking this set-up someplace a little darker, and one evening after a night on the town, Shane comes across a bag of drugs -- which belong to the quiet but dangerous Keith (David Murray) who makes Shane an offer he can't refuse. Thrown in the midst is Shane's attraction to Vince's girlfriend Gemma (Amy Shiels) who herself has an unrequited attraction towards Vince and virtually ignores Shane, and a surprising revelation Shane receives from Keith after a night at their favorite club goes south and he is thrown out into the streets. In this respect, COWBOYS AND ANGELS is a clever depiction of what is obvious and what is not because youth tends to ignore the facts of someone's sexuality, but it makes it even more ambiguous in the character of Keith, who represents a protector with a dark edge. Minus the runway at the end -- itself a cliché that attempts to spell out how far some characters have come in their journey through self-discovery, this is a pretty good movie, one that adheres to its convictions and doesn't try to throw in a left-field wrench for the sake of shocks.