Cowboys & Angels (2003)

Director:

David Gleeson

Writer:

David Gleeson (writer)

Release Date:

23 July 2004 (Ireland)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

How far you go is up to you...

Plot:

The story concerns a hapless civil servant who gets more than he bargained for when he moves into an...

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Drugs | Gay | Catwalk | Fashion

Awards:

5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Michael Legge	...	Shane Butler
Allen Leech	...	Vincent Cusack (as Alan Leech)
Amy Shiels	...	Gemma
David Murray	...	Keith
Frank Kelly	...	Jerry
Colm Coogan	...	Budgie
Sean Power	...	Frankie
Alvaro Lucchesi	...	Bunny
Frank Coughlan	...	Richard Walsh
Nigel Mercier	...	Inspector
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jennifer Barry	...	Estate Agent
Jason Cahill	...	Bouncer
Padraig Campbell	...	Detective Black
Louise Carey	...	Girl in Street
Michael Carney	...	Gardai
Patrick Clohessy	...	Man Fighting in Street
Richard Conlon	...	Gardai
Cathal Costello	...	Bouncer #1
Peggy Coyne	...	Old Lady
Mairéad Crowley	...	Doris
Randall Daly	...	Airport Security Guard
Frank Dineen	...	Street Thug
Helena Enright	...	Woman Showing Apt.
Ned Farrell	...	Gardai
John Finn	...	Bouncer
Mike Finn	...	Garda (raid) #2
Karen Fitzgibbon	...	Accident Woman
Niamh Foley	...	Supermacs Girl
Naomi Hanrahan	...	Girl in Street
Angela Harding	...	Mrs. Butler
Armor Harris	...	Gardai
Mary Harvey	...	Esther
Ollie Hayes	...	Newspaper Vendor
Susan Holmes	...	Woman in Hallway
Mary Jackman	...	Fashion Show Model
Niall Johnston	...	Mr. Cusack
Danielle Lawlor	...	Fashion Show Model
Alanna Littleg	...	Fashion Show Model
Kieran Lynch	...	Garda (raid) #1
Julie McEvoy	...	Supermacs Girl - Extra
Maeve McGrath	...	Anne
Michael McGrath	...	Mud Club Student
Brian McNamara	...	Landlord #2
Sharon McNeill	...	Fashion Show Model
Brian Mortell	...	Man Fighting in Street
Gerry O'Brien	...	Man Fighting in Street
Mary-Louise O'Callaghan	...	Fashion Show Model
Thomas O'Connor	...	Gardai
Dan O'Driscoll	...	Fashion Show P.A.
Moira O'Dwyer	...	Mrs. Cusack
Martin Philips	...	Detective Roche
Grania Preston	...	Nuala Colgan
Dermot Purcell	...	Photographer
Robert Quigley	...	Bouncer #2
Ann Quill	...	Garda (interview room)
Niamh Quinn	...	Fashion Show Model
Dan Sheehy	...	Landlord #1
Des Waddick	...	Garda
Sue Waters	...	Girl in Street
Micheál Ó'Dubhghaill	...	Barman
Ronan Cassidy	...	Barman (uncredited)

Directed by
David Gleeson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David Gleeson		writer

Produced by
Chris Chrisafis	....	co-producer
James Flynn	....	executive producer
Nathalie Lichtenthaeler	....	producer
Brendan McCarthy	....	executive producer
Patrick O'Donoghue	....	line producer
Peter Stockhaus	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Stephen McKeon

Cinematography by
Volker Tittel

Film Editing by
Andrew Bird

Casting by
Gillian Reynolds

Production Design by
Jim Furlong

Art Direction by
David Doran

Costume Design by
Grania Preston

Makeup Department
Nursen Balci	....	chief hair stylist
Nursen Balci	....	chief makeup artist
David Barnett	....	additional hair stylist
Joni Galvin	....	hair stylist
Joni Galvin	....	makeup artist
Tanya McMahon	....	additional hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mary Gough	....	second assistant director
Sean Griffin	....	third assistant director
Luke Johnston	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Colm Bassett	....	construction consultant
Cos Egan	....	property master
Cos Egan	....	stand-by props
Jules Harris	....	art department trainee
Dave Peters	....	property master
Katherine Sankey	....	props buyer

Sound Department
Daniel Birch	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ray Cross	....	sound recordist
Stephen Farrell	....	boom operator
Sascha Heiny	....	sound mixer
Hubert Henle	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Thomas Knop	....	foley recordist
Jörg Krieger	....	sound editor
Martin Langenbach	....	foley artist
Norbert Schlawin	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Derek Kelly	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Brendan Condren	....	stunts
Joe Condren	....	stunt coordinator
Paddy Condren	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas 'Ape' Apel	....	electrician (as Thomas Apel)
Clemens Bachmann	....	best boy
Colm Hogan	....	still photographer
Jörg Jahn	....	focus puller
Christoph Loeckle	....	gaffer
Sam Phillips	....	key grip (as Sam Philips)
Saskia Uppenkamp	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Naomi Hanrahan	....	wardrobe trainee
Ciara McArdle	....	wardrobe supervisor
Anne O'Mahoney	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Nikolai Hartmann	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Kle Savidge	....	music supervisor (as Kle Boutis)

Transportation Department
Mervyn Adams	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Aoife Cassidy	....	assistant coordinator
Dermot Cleary	....	location manager
Steven Davenport	....	location assistant (as Stephen Davenport)
Louise Gaffney	....	script supervisor
Susan Holmes	....	production coordinator
Nessa King	....	production executive
Arran Murphy	....	extras coordinator
Chris Samways	....	animal handler
Linda Seger	....	script consultant
David Sheehy	....	production accountant
Chryssy Tintner	....	script consulting team

Production Companies

• Wide Eye Films
• Peter Stockhaus Filmproduktion
• Grosvenor Park Productions

Distributors

• Buena Vista International (2004) (Ireland) (theatrical)
• Salzgeber & Company Medien (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• TLA Releasing (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Antiprod (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• TLA Releasing (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Videorama (2007) (Greece) (all media)

Special Effects

• Reel FX

Other Companies

• Konken Studios  foley recording

Also Known As:

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

Ireland | Germany | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:MA | Ireland:15 (DVD rating) | Ireland:15PG | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

County Limerick, Ireland

Company:

Wide Eye Films

Trivia:

Writer/director David Gleeson had worked in the Department of Agriculture office where the scenes in the movie were filmed. Some of the extras are the people with whom he used to work.

Quotes:

Shane:Are you gay?
Vincent Cusack:Why do you ask?
[pause]
Vincent Cusack:Yes, I am. It's the fashion thing, isn't it?
Shane:It's everything.
[sheepish grin]
Shane:I'm not, by the way.
Vincent Cusack:I figured.
Shane:It's the hair thing, isn't it?
Vincent Cusack:It's everything.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in 2005 Glitter Awards (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Star O'Munster 2

Half-hearted attempt at portraying a friendship

Two Irish lads move in together. Vincent is a well-balanced gay art student and Shane is a sheltered and shy civil servant. Through a makeover a la "Queer Eye," Vincent helps Shane gain self-confidence. Unfortunately, Shane falls into the wrong crowd and starts trafficking drugs.

Is this a makeover movie (complete with themes about being true to yourself) or a movie about the Irish drug scene? It tries to be both, but it never finds a good balance. It ultimately strives to be about the relationship between the two young men, but it never really succeeds because the relationship is never fully developed for the viewer. This problem could have been easily avoided--two very endearing deleted scenes should have been kept in the film for sure. There are some random scenes that seem to come out of nowhere, but it all pieces together nicely (perhaps too nicely) in the end. The lead character does some awful things, like being part of a hit and run where a woman is terribly injured and a man is severely beaten when trying to call the cops, but in the end it is all okay because he's a likable guy with a fabulous gay roommate who has unexpectedly got the hook-up. Oh, please. Still, the overall theme of being yourself and true to yourself is great, even if the movie goes about expressing it in a half-assed way. And both lead actors are irresistibly cute.