Smush’s fate is fixed from the moment he appears onscreen; his capacity is flattened into serving as the moral wake-up call for Cole and the lived reminder not to follow in the footsteps of Harp, who once upon a time lived a life similar to Smush’s. They’re part of a rich American story that spans centuries and seldom goes explored in cinema or in reality. for language throughout, drug use and some violence. If you’re not deterred by the bombardment of profanity, this movie could provide a quieter, more introspective viewing epxerience. viewing experience. For many, it hit home. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. In 1992, original ‘Real World’ cast member Kevin Powell sparked vital conversations about race. Their morals are often defined by clear-cut notions of good and evil. “Concrete Cowboy” introduces an unexpected new movie genre: the … Sent to live with his estranged father for the summer, a rebellious teen finds kinship in a tight-knit Philadelphia community of Black cowboys. Full Review. And now just recently, Concrete Cowboy has moseyed on down to our amazing city of Houston. A troubled youth, running out of options, is sent away to their long-lost parent in a last-ditch effort to set them straight. Netflix’s “Concrete Cowboy” explores a more recent iteration of this culture, the Black “urban cowboys” who have populated North Philadelphia for the past 100 years. He also explains that when a dude’s Ma sends him to spend the summer with his Pops, it’s an irreversible scenario. Review: Romanian director Cristi Puiu’s ‘Malmkrog’ is a dense treatise in fancy dress. Elba plays Harp, one of the leaders of the Fletcher Street Stables community. Not only does he have to deal with empty cupboards and a fridge full of only sodas and beer, there’s the aforementioned equine roommate who takes up most of the space reserved for houseguests. It is a form of identification that will leave a bad taste in the mouths of viewers looking for a nuanced and contemporary depiction of inner-city Black boyhood and which likewise underscores the reliably commonplace vision of the film as a whole. Review: ‘Held’ lacks the cleverness and panache to land stinging social satire. The way-cool sight of Idris Elba riding a horse on the streets of Philadelphia is bound to get you buzzed big time about what’s unique and unforgettable in “Concrete Cowboy,” the Black urban western (now on Netflix) that revels in the pleasures of the unexpected. Westerns are all about larger-than-life figures with the potential for legendary status. Stream It … What matters instead, for Staub, is the horses and their riders. Prince Philip, who died Friday, lives on in film and TV. April 8th, 2021 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar. Review: ‘Concrete Cowboy’ lacks the charisma of the real Black Philadelphia horsemen Caleb McLaughlin, left, and Jharrel Jerome in the movie “Concrete Cowboy.” (Aaron Ricketts / Netflix) It’s never jarring to see someone riding a horse in an urban setting, because as one character points out, horses have always been in the city. All of this is beyond bizarre for Cole; in addition to the chip on his shoulder about being forced to spend time with a man he hardly knows, the living arrangements leave much to be desired. Netflix’s “Concrete Cowboy” explores a more recent iteration of this culture, the Black “urban cowboys” who have populated North Philadelphia for the past 100 years. The troubled-teen nuts and bolts of the tale feel well-worn. The relationship between Harp, a longtime cowboy, and Cole is clearly strained, however “Concrete Cowboy” doesn’t seem too interested in explicating why exactly that is. “Hard things come before good things,” Nessie tells him, echoing what could be a theme of “Concrete Cowboy.” One of those hard things is shoveling manure, of which there is an endless supply. In these scenes we meet Paris (Jamil Prattis), who serves as his tough supervisor and Esha (Ivannah Mercedes), an impressive rider/trainer who has a flirty rapport with Cole. “Concrete Cowboy” is constantly telling us about the history and the significance of the Philly cowboys, but it doesn’t show just what makes them so special — we get glimpses of it every now and then, but there’s never a moment where the film really feels as if it’s truly capitalizing on the goldmine of a story it has on its hands. There, he reunites with an old friend and has to get on with working … The juxtaposition of the cowboys’ current day and their historic past is alluded to in a wonderful moment near the end where the Fletcher Street crew go for a majestic ride down the street. CONCRETE COWBOY (Netflix) In Northern Philadelphia, the sight of Black men and women on horseback, actual urban cowboys, is a common sight. All of Concrete Cowboy ’s performances are solid, with McLaughlin carrying the story emotionally, and Jerome balancing vulnerability and pride as … By Robert Levin robert.levin@newsday.com April 8, … If you know your history, the concept of a Black cowboy will not seem foreign. Smush takes him to familiar locales, smokes weed with him and talks a whole spades game worth of smack. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here. Odie "Odienator" Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. From “The Queen” to “The Crown,” here are the actors who portrayed the Duke of Edinburgh. Concrete Cowboy's urban Philadelphia setting is fantastically captured. But the Fletcher Street cowboys setting is compelling. Adapted from author G. Neri’s YA novel “Ghetto Cowboys,” the boy in question here is Cole (“Stranger Things”’ Caleb McLaughlin), who, upon being expelled from his Detroit school for fighting with his peers, is sent to live with his father, Harp (Idris Elba), for the summer. Concrete Cowboy feels like a patchwork of a variety of other movies, but makes for a unique quilt. Jonathon Wilson 0. Without telling her son, she decides to drop him off in Philadelphia to spend the summer with Harp. The relentlessly posed, Oscar-nominated “The Man Who Sold His Skin” explores the thorny convergence of art world privilege and real-world woes. Rated R (language throughout, drug use and some violence.) He and his son, like Paris and Smush and others, all share a mixed sense of oppression and fear that has led them to make destructive life choices. By Julius Tabel. 'Concrete Cowboy' review: Extraordinarily beautiful drama (L-R) Idris Elba as Harp and Caleb McLaughlin as Cole in "Concrete Cowboy." Concrete Cowboy review: Netflix's father-son story lovingly showcases a unique community of horse riders Concrete Cowboy's most impressive moments transcend the father-son story, when the kinship of the horse-riding community comes to the fore The film’s boilerplate redemption narrative is given the backseat treatment as we instead are given over to the past and present community history of the Fletcher Street Stables, a real-life Black horsemanship community active for more than 100 years. “Slalom,” a French sexual abuse drama starring Noée Abita and Jérémie Renier, is set in the world of elite skiing. Classic movies at local theaters and drive-ins: ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ ‘Pulp Fiction’ and more. Holding on to a particular way of life, despite intrusive outside forces attempting to destroy it, is also part of a city’s cultural landscape. Concrete Cowboy is a modern redemption tale with an equal number of aces and poison snakes in its boot. “Concrete Cowboy” merges its two storylines together with minimal difficulty by using the city of Philadelphia as the constant between the two. It has a similar mindedness for the friendship between Cole and his cousin Smush (“Moonlight”s Jharrel Jerome), who, despite having been close childhood friends with Cole, is realized here largely in moral relief more than he is expanded as a character in his own right. These are the very reasons why one is given to wonder what it is exactly that the filmmaker himself lends to this film other than a completely ordinary commercial veneer. Review: The indelibility of tattoos doesn’t transfer to ‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’. Melissa McCarthy teams up with Octavia Spencer for “Thunder Force,” and the limp Netflix comedy wastes their Oscar worthy talents. The solid acting chops of Idris Elba and … Review: The road to enlightenment passes through Google, “The Cup” director Khyentse Norbu places a Tibetan entrepreneur on a mystical journey in “Looking for a Lady With Fangs and a Moustache.”, He was half of ‘the most famous argument’ in reality-TV history. This is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist, Breaking Bread on the 25th Anniversary of Big Night, ABC’s Rebel Wastes Talent on Fictional Version of the Erin Brockovich Legacy. Concrete Cowboy still isn’t what I’d call family entertainment, but it is a good character drama with important messages about home, family, and self esteem. Rated: R, for language throughout, drug use and some violenceRunning time: 1 hour, 51 minutesPlaying: Available on Netflix, Prince Philip had a rich Hollywood history. Rated R With Idris Elba, Lorraine Toussaint, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome. They’re part of a rich American story that spans centuries and seldom goes explored in cinema or in reality. Four members of Orange County’s resurgent far right spoke at a pro-Trump rally in Washington the day before the Capitol riots. Their violent rhetoric targets foes both real and imagined. Concrete Cowboy Netflix. Film Review – Concrete Cowboy. Transylvanian aristocrats exchange philosophical ideas in “Malmkrog,” a tedious 19th-century-set drama from Romanian New Wave filmmaker Cristi Puiu. Well-acted and solidly directed, Concrete Cowboy lassos old-fashioned uplift with its story of a father and son in a little-seen corner of American culture. The first feature film from Philadelphia director Ricky Staub, “Concrete Cowboy” charts familiar territory in its story of a young Black boy figured within the stale trope of having to choose between “a life of crime” and what we may refer to as more societally acceptable interests. How that plays into the streaming wars. While I admit I would have preferred a documentary about the people who have passed this tradition down from generation to generation, director Ricky Staub’s fictional feature serves as a worthwhile introduction. They follow the more than a century old tradition of ending to and riding the animals within the city. He works the stables, helps out wayward youth in the community, and tends to the horses, one of which he keeps in his house. 3.5. Kyoko Takenaka’s short film ‘Home’ has gone viral on Instagram. Before the star-studded Western The Harder They Fall arrives later this year, though, Elba is saddling up for a less traditional take on the genre.. Netflix ́ newest film features Caleb McLaughlin portraying a teenage boy whose mother pushes him off to his mostly unknown father. This is why it’s all the more curious that “Concrete Cowboy” takes the form of rote drama rather than documentary. On Netflix. But Harp’s neighbors remember him, starting with Nessie (Toussaint), a stern but loving community member. Concrete Cowboy is an appealing, sturdy drama, ... Aaron Rodgers 'Jeopardy' Hosting Reviews: Twitter Approves This story has been shared 440 times. Both are played by real-life members of the Fletcher Street Stables community, adding notes of realism to their fictional roles. Find a flick with our weekly guide to classic movies and cult favorites playing at local theaters, drive-ins, pop-ups and rooftops near you. Review: Melissa McCarthy is better than ‘Thunder Force.’ It’s time for her to realize it. It contains audio recordings of racist comments men made to Takenaka in bars. Attempting to skewer sexism, “Held” is a predictable thriller about a couple held captive by an unseen Voice in a vacation rental. Philly does offer one respite: the belated reunion between Cole and his older cousin, Smush (Jerome). Harp devotes more time and money to feeding his horses than himself, so Cole will have to eat out a lot. Straub and his co-writer, Dan Walser, use Jerome’s character to differentiate between the paths a young man like Cole might take, leaning on an all too familiar drug plotline and outcome. It is undoubtedly the film’s stronger narrative tine and made all the more so for its reliance on real-life Fletcher Street riders that all but upstage the film’s stars with their charisma and unexpected onscreen agility. “Them,” about a Black family fighting racism and supernatural forces in the 1950s, includes warnings about its graphic depictions of racist violence. Film Reviews, Netflix. Harp has a son, Cole (Caleb McLaughlin), who lives in Detroit. For sustenance, he’s given two excellent dramatic scenes with McLaughlin, including a stunning monologue about how Cole got his name. Running time: 111 minutes. Concrete Cowboy is a nice movie about fathers and sons and humanity and the legacy of why there are people riding horses in places you wouldn’t expect to see any horses. He’s so good at generating empathy that when brutality befalls him, the film can barely stand to show it to us. Time proved him right. Sony becomes a top supplier for Netflix. Caleb McLaughlin, left, and Jharrel Jerome in the movie “Concrete Cowboy.”, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, left, and Idris Elba in the movie “Concrete Cowboy.”, From KKK to skinheads, a century of fighting hate in Orange County. It took 30 years, and a reunion, for many to listen. Here’s how he was depicted in film and TV. As the film opens, Cole’s discipline problems at school and at home have become too much for his mother. Harp considers Smush a bad influence, so to keep his nocturnal jaunts with his cousin secret, Cole starts working at the stables. Concrete Cowboy is loaded with cliche, but it shines a spotlight on a little-understood sub-culture and boasts excellent performances, particularly from Caleb McLaughlin in the lead role. 119 reviews of Concrete Cowboy "First Dallas, then Austin. The setup is classic formula. The best ones blur that binary delineation, and while “Concrete Cowboy” isn’t exactly a Western, it’s comfortable cribbing some of the contents of the genre. At one point, a cop played by Method Man shows up, not to break up the party but to caution them about the condition of the stables. Directed by Ricky Staub Written by Ricky Staub, Dan Walser Starring Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome, Byron Bowers, Lorraine Toussaint and Clifford “Method Man” Smith. You can feel the sense of pride and joy in this moment, and know with some certainty that this is why the filmmakers chose to tell this story. 440. A young Black boy in a car observes them with the awe John Ford afforded majestic rides in his films. There’s a gorgeous sunrise, a powerful scene of horse-taming, and the spectacle of seeing Idris Elba on a horse. Like “Nomadland,” this film features real-life members of the community playing themselves alongside big name actors like Idris Elba, Jharrel Jerome, and the always welcome Lorraine Toussaint. A group of friends and I found ourselves here last night to celebrate a pretty momentous occasion -the birthday of yours truly!- and we definitely enjoyed this new addition to the Washington bar scene. Directed by Ricky Staub. April 2, 2021. The Pitch: Idris Elba has the gravity and laconic cool to make a great cowboy, and clearly Netflix knows this. The right sandwich for 22 different hikes in L.A. A hike is a good excuse to eat a sandwich. Jerome, as usual, delivers an excellent, nuanced and complex performance. A sandwich improves every hike, and in L.A., you can almost always find one not far from the other. In many ways, the film too easily leans into the disposability of a character like Smush and doesn’t seem to question why that may be. Yet they also surprise us by crafting an often tender portrait of a man who once stood at the same crossroads our protagonist will stand. Smush, a former rider, now works for a local dealer from whom he is stealing profits and is quick to take Cole under his wing, despite Harp’s protestations. Cole has a history in Philly, even if very little of it includes his father. Cole protests with all his might, but this is such a done deal that his Mom drives off in mid-protest, leaving him on the street in front of Harp’s place. Summary. Luke Parker Film Inquiry. She gets the devastated Cole’s attention and sends him around the corner to find his Dad. Concrete Cowboy is a coming-of-age story for Cole, but for those sitting around the campfire, it’s an old tale, another chapter in a history that they long to remember, protect, and pass on. Though the role requires Elba to present a more human form than usual, complete with pot belly, he’s still got enough star power to cast a striking figure while in the saddle. Concrete Cowboy. Staub has clearly established a rapport with the community, having enjoyed a proximity to its people and space for two years ahead of shooting, and is certainly aware of the need for autonomy and self-determination in terms of the voices highlighted here (as well as the oft-forgotten history of Black cowboys in America at large). The racist violence in Amazon’s new series left execs ‘shaken.’ Does it go too far? Review: An elite skier is sexually abused by her coach in the French drama ‘Slalom’. The interest, as is surely evident by the film’s title, is horsemanship; more specifically, the vibrant Black cowboy community in North Philly. Prattis is as memorable as the actors who surround him. Kyoko Takenaka recorded racist things men said in bars. Concrete Cowboy Review: When a troubled 15-year-old boy is forced to come to terms with his estranged cowboy father in Philadelphia, new-found bonds emerge. Concrete Cowboy's Coming-of-Age Tale Trots a Well-Worn Trail By Jacob Oller April 2, 2021 | 9:59am The 100 Best Movies on Netflix (April 2021) By … 3.5. Concrete Cowboy review – an impressive debut feature burdened by cliche ride along. Harp is sitting around a more suitable campfire for a city—a flaming trash can—swapping stories with his band of brothers and sisters. Concrete Cowboy is not without its sadder moments, though, including a line Elba delivers about being "born with a boot on my neck." 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