Cowboys and Angels

Colour, 35 mm
Ireland, Germany, 2003, 90 min
Section: Another View

Synopsis

Shane Butler is a good-looking twenty-year-old who wants to study at art school but instead has to spend time fruitlessly on his civil service. When he moves to Limerick he shares a rented flat with Vincent Cusack, who is studying modern design, and they soon become inseparable friends. Shane falls in love with Vincent’s best friend Gemma who is also studying at art school, along with a sideline in fast food. They create quite a strange triangle - Shane is strongly influenced by Vincent´s artistic talent and his desire to prove himself, but at the same time he wants to impress the girl he´s fallen for. Since he thinks in won´t be possible without money, he gets involved in dodgy deals and places himself and Vincent in serious danger. Will their friendship stand up to this young man´s imprudence? And what will become of a love that has barely begun? Shane Butler is played by Michael Legge who starred as Frankie McCourt in Alan Parker´s film Angela´s Ashes. Amy Shields (Gemma) gave her debut in Veronica Guerin, and Allen Leech (Vincent) is considered one of the most talented actirs on the Irish screen.

About the director

David Gleeson, one of the most fascinating Irish directors, comes from a family of cinema owners. He lives and works in Dublin and has made a number of short films. Cowboys and Angels is his feature film debut. “It is a film for and about the young,” the director says. “Although it takes place in Ireland and has some specifically Irish motifs, the story itself and the theme are universal – they speak about sincere friendship and the ability to accept someone else as they really are”.