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.
The strongest performances in the picture come courtesy of the women. Radha Mitchell is mysterious and beautiful as wedding crasher JoJo, while Mia Kirshner provides a nice contrast as the vulnerable Candice. Lead actor Adam Trese has a harder time as the hapless Danny. There are moments in Cowboys and Angels where Trese isn©öt up to the emotional challenge.
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.