The titel of "Kauwboy" is sort of a pun, because it sounds like cowboy. Originally I thought that the meaning of the title was chewing boy (to chew is "kauwen" in Dutch) because there was chewing gum in the clip I saw from the film. In reality however the meaning of the title is jackdaw boy because the main character (the 9 years old Jojo played by Rick Lens) is raising a young jackdaw he found after it fell out of his nest.
"Kauwboy" is a film that is of interest to children as well as adults. I think the children will focus on the storyline of raising the jackdaw while the adults will soon focus on the strained relationship between Jojo and his father.
Jojo lives alone with his father and the position of the mother remains indistinct for a large part of the movie. The father easily loses his temper and when this happens it is Jojo that is keeping the peace. At such moments the father - son relationship is kind of reversed, like that in "Leave no trace" (2018, Debra Granik).
"Kauwboy" was the first feature length movie of Boudewijn Koole. With "Beyond sleep" (2016) and "Disappearance" (2017) he proved himself to be one of the most productive contemporary Dutch directors. "Kauwboy" also was the debut for Rick Lens (born 2000) who plays the main character. His natural acting style, sometimes acting as a little boy sometimes forced to act well beyond his age, is crucial for the quality of the film.
At the end of the movie the storylines of the jackdaw and the father - son relationship come together again in what in my view is a little forced happy end. The end of "Kes" (1969, Ken Loach), a film that combines the same themes as "Kauwboy", was more natural but less happy.
