A
few months ago, I had the good experience of judging The Eclipse Film Festival
in beautiful St. George Utah. One of my fellow judges was high spirited film maker
Gregory C. Haynes. Haynes actually got his start appearing in a terrific low-budget
film called Pure Race. But, as is the case with many actors, what Haynes really
wants to do is direct. Ergo Cowboys and Angels, an earnest romance that tries
to celebrate the institution of marriage, where a film like The Wedding Planner
seems to belittle it.
Cowboys
and Angels tells the story of Danny, a sweet natured guy who always ends up with
the wrong woman. He soon finds himself smitten by a mysterious woman who passes
her time by attending weddings. Of course, this is only scratching the surface
of the film. Much more occurs, but this is the gist of the story.
Haynes
not only directed the film, but wrote it as well. There are moments of sheer honesty
in this film, and I would come to guess that many of these situations somehow
involved Haynes in real life. In particular, there is a great scene in which Danny
talks the night away on the phone, with the girl of his dreams. He does this for
no other reason but to hear her voice. Many, will no doubt, find this to be a
sappy moment, but I admired it's realism, and it actually reminded me of something
that happened to me years ago when I was in high school. There are also some moments
in this picture that took me off guard, but I don't want to give them away in
this review.
Cowboys
and Angels is actually Haynes' second feature. The first was a picture called
Heaven or Vegas, and although I haven't seen that one, I'm told this is much better.
I sort of have a mixed reaction to Cowboys and Angels. I think it's a beautiful
film to look at.
Haynes
really gets the best from his cinematography team. I guess my problem is that
the screenplay lacks focus. I understand that this is a film about fate and finding
your soul mate but there are many moments that just didn't keep my interest. It
should also be noted that there is a sort of a whimsical, magical tone running
throughout the plot that seems a tad misplaced. Finally, there is a tagged on
ending (following the director credit) that really dampens the spirit of the film.
I feel that maybe Haynes and crew should have left this moment for collector's
edition DVD.
In
the end, you could do much worse than Cowboys and Angels. This is a film with
it's heart in the right place and it certainly isn't the kind of movie that will
offend anyone. Haynes shows a lot of confidence and I'm looking forward to seeing
him spread his wings in the future. Incidentally, Cowboys and Angels is starting
it's run in Utah. After that, it may get a nationwide release. As it stands, the
picture is developing a good word of mouth, so watch for it at a theater near
you.
