San Francisco Cowboy

This film presents astonishing views of San Francisco, from Chinatown to Castro. As a long time San Francisco resident, I was delighted to see how the director portrayed the city. The cinematography had unique angels to make it very interesting. The characters in the films are real. You emotionally connect to them as you see the story unfold. The dialogues were fun and heartwarming. The character of Murphy got my attention, he is handsome, dynamic and versatile actor. I expect his film career will take off. The scenes he was in were very powerful. The character of Madam of Dallas hotel was corky and a good side kick. If you love Indie movies, you must see this one.

Great shots of San Francisco in this movie that really gives you a feel for the city. The colours and production design are well-thought out and add to the vibrancy of what the characters go through. San Francisco is of course a very vibrant city, so this mirrors this.

The sound is also great, it all comes together and works really well. (Personally bad sound can really ruin a movie for me.) Impressed with the multiple locations and energy of this film. The make-up also looks very good. The actors are going all out for it, really investing themselves in the storyline. Checked out the other films of this director and he is one to watch.

I liked the storyline which was very interesting and how the story developed was engaging. The character of Murphy was great. He was believable and was able to express his emotions in the scenes very well. How the cowboy meets Paris in the club was fun and interesting. I really liked the old vibes of San Francisco bars which were chosen to shoot the film. I had never been to Edinburgh Castle and was amazed to see this old gem in Tenderloin. It has a great character to look at. The go go dancer in Powerhouse was funny. Film was a good insight into the weirdness of San Francisco and misfits who live here. I have met these characters in the streets of San Francisco. Seems like the director wanted to present San Francisco as a very accepting city. The cowboy getting emotional in the climax was very believable. I will watch it again.

Like most SF residents, I love seeing my city in feature films. What made this one different from the others is that it was made by an immigrant from Pakistan, Hassan Zee, whose goal was to capture the City's soul for the benefit of non-American viewers who would want to start with a bigger picture like the one "Cabaret" offers of Munich in the 1930s. The plot point of a young man from Nevada seeking the mother who abandoned him at birth in the City by the Bay means the view is mostly limited to the city's dark and squalid side but somehow the menace doesn't feel quite real; even a trio of axe-wielding maniacs have the air of fraternity pranksters. The themes of forgiveness and redemption are overriding, especially in a surreal scene of Jesus consoling a repentant sinner. The earnest and determined male lead is upstaged by his own hat while the supporting male actor is a bipolar bundle of firecrackers and the female lead is by turns shifty, loving, and foolish. It makes for a very colorful array of lead characters, including San Francisco itself.

Hassan has made a real treasure with this sweet film. The actors are very good, and Jimmy Darling shows an aching and trusting vulnerability as the man in search of his mother. I enjoyed the familiar scenes of San Francisco.

My hats off to Hassan, who I've known for several years. He lives his life to make these films with an unflinching commitment. This is his first film made in the United States, and it's a big shift from his previous work, showing the kinky underside of San Francisco, instead of the more conservative themes of his films made in Pakistan. I'm looking forward to what comes next.