User Reviews

I screened this film during the Austin Film Festival. I hadn't watched a western film in quite sometime, so when I came across this flick I thought I should give it a chance after reading some positive reviews. I was more than pleasantly surprised. There was a great balance of humor and serious subject matter pulled straight from recent headlines. I found myself contemplating the subject matter after I left the theater, which spurred discussion between me and some friends. I feel if a director can pull off entertaining the audience while encouraging self-introspection that they have indeed created a film worth watching. I definitely recommend this film to anyone.

I attended a screening of Cowboy Smoke at the Austin Film Festival and was truly blown away. My friend wanted to see Cowboy Smoke because it was a modern western and this was all I knew going into the screening and I'll admit, I'm not a big fan of westerns.

To my surprise Cowboy Smoke was much more than a western. Cowboy Smoke manages to be an entertaining action-adventure genre film but also an engaging social commentary. Writer/Director Will Moore is a talent to keep your eye on. He somehow managed to make an indie action film with a great story. His ability to hold this extremely ambitious and epic movie together has me impressed. The remote setting is captured beautifully by director of photography Steven Acevedo. These stunning visuals along with an original score by Brian Satterwhite, which was so good that I asked the director where I could get a copy of the CD, give the film a big budget feel. I was surprised with the acting as well. Usually with indie films the acting is the weakest part of the film. Not the case with Cowboy Smoke. All star performances from Estella Perez, Matt Johnston and James Paul in supporting roles. Joe as the convenience store clerk, wanna-be cowboy has such a great character arch that you will be cheering out loud for him in the film's final scenes and is played to perfection by newcomer Mike Lutz. Chad Mathews as loner desperado, Wes, manages to create a character that outwardly cares for no one other than himself but deep down we know better. Mathews does this all with nuances and body movements. A great performance.

So what was weak about Cowboy Smoke you ask? No complaints here. After spending four days of watching your standard festival indie fare, Cowboy Smoke was an all out blessing. I would not be surprised if I saw this film in the local theater in the months to come and I would recommend Cowboy Smoke to anyone and everyone, regardless of if they were a Western fan or not.

Cowboy Smoke is a solid modern-day western, fun to watch and a great homage to the classic spaghetti westerns of the 60s and 70s. The character of Joe (played by Mike Lutz) isn't your typical cool, calm and collected cowboy hero from the start. But through great directing and Lutz's solid acting chops, Joe transforms into a classic western character to be appreciated by any film-goer. The film has action, drama, suspense and a touching love story... not to mention a few laughs along the way.

I attended a sold-out screening of Cowboy Smoke at the Austin Film Festival after having seen the fliers posted around at the festival venues... and I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the film. Strong directing, a talented cast, beautiful cinematography and score. Kudos to writer/director Moore and his team!

While making a modern spaghetti western with a social conscience may be a tall order, writer/director Will James Moore comes up with a watchable little flick. Wes (Chad Mathews) is a criminal on the run from Texas Ranger wannabe Travis (Matt Johnston) and Travis' father, a full-fledged Ranger. Travis accidentally shoots his father, and Wes escapes, after knocking Travis unconscious. In the meantime, Joe (Mike Lutz) is fired from his dead-end convenience store job for obsessively playing a wild west themed video game, complete with a plastic six-shooter. Joe wants to be a real cowboy (the film is set in Texas), yet the only skills Joe knows are what he has seen in western films and television shows. After failing at regular cowpoke jobs, Joe uses his video game skills to land a hunting job that pays $500 a kill. Joe hits the open country with his new employers, but realizes too late that the men get $500 for every illegal Mexican immigrant they kill on their ranch land. Joe bolts. Travis, still tracking Wes, meets Joe in jail when Joe is mistaken for Wes. Joe was given a gun in a chance meeting with Wes, and uses the weapon to defend himself against his still angry former employers. Indio (James Paul) is the local ruthless immigrant smuggler- a "coyote." He takes in Wes, then uses his power to make Joe sheriff, after murdering the old one. Wes', Joe's, and Travis' paths continue to cross as the three men see Indio murder and pillage the helpless Mexican prey. This being a western, there is a climactic shootout that does not go the way you might expect.

My biggest problem with Moore's film is all the busy-ness. I didn't even mention Joe's love interest Elysa (Estella Perez), Indio's sick father, Wes' nationwide infamy, or even former Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips' cameo! There is a lot of stuff here, and occasionally scenes don't work- Travis shooting his father, and Joe being handed the sheriff's job without so much as a peep from anyone, to name two. I did find plenty to like here, though. The main trio of actors are all fine. While the screenplay's tone is a little weird, Moore's direction and Stephen Acevedo's photography give the film a big budget look. Brian Satterwhite's musical score compares favorably to Ennio Morricone scores of old, paying homage to them without blatantly ripping them off. Finally, it's a treat to see a Texas-set film actually shot in Texas. I am a fourth generation Texan, and I hate that "Alberta-as-Texas" crap Hollywood often attempts- "Texas Rangers" being a terrible example. "Cowboy Smoke" doesn't go Tarantino on the audience, it just delivers a good story with decent characters. That's saying something.