COWBOY DAVE

BY: Dante Fresse

Cowboy Dave is directed by Colin O’Toole and follows a guitarist in debt as he confronts his violent debtors looking to end his life. The film professes music and comedy in a dark tragedy falling on “Cowboy” Dave. Cowboy Dave is nearly a half hour long and the production value is commendable. The piece is a BAFTA shorts selection winner starring Sam Spruell as Cowboy Dave and features performances from actors such as Christine Bottomley, Dylan Naden, and Matt Raikes. The cast is great and O’Toole’s work is ambitious as his storytelling shows lots of intense moments.

This British drama also follows a young boy, who is a car washer as he travels through the city looking for clients. His life becomes intertwined with “Cowboy” Dave as he is visited by hostile debt collectors. The youth does a great job in his role and shines as he poorly washes Dave’s car, which we soon find out isn’t really his. O’Toole’s plot is well paced and travels through time to allow events to unfold as the narrative skips between scenes. The suspense kicks up each moment as the actors performances are so great and it’s difficult to know when and what is happening at a given time. Dark imagery and stark lighting takes the gloomy appearance of this piece.

There’s an underlying tone and theme of “Cowboys and Indians” that permeates this script. All relationships are metaphorical but pose a strong way for transactions between people in this script. Between gangsters and coin carriers there is a certain unease which breeds in the overall quality of the film’s story. The film is quiet at times but speaks loudly for humanity at others, making for a story arc which is moving and disturbing at moments. PROVOKR loves this BAFTA winning piece and suggests everyone check it out!