Movie Thoughts: Kauwboy (2012)

• Released: February 11th, 2012
• Directed by: Boudewijn Koole
• Running time: 1h 21min
• Rating 3.5/5

Synopsis

A boy named Jojo has a difficult relationship with his father after his mother disappeared. He finds relief in Kauwtje, a little jackdaw fledgling he rescued and is trying to raise.

My Thoughts

Didn't have high expectations going into this one, but as far as Dutch movies go this one is surprisingly good. Not fantastic, but I did genuinely enjoy it. 

The main character really is what kept me hooked. Jojo is a well-written and compelling character. He's a troubled kid and acts out sometimes, but deep down he's caring and also just a victim of his father, who is on the abusive side after the loss of his wife and Jojo's mother. Jojo's relationships are all fleshed out pretty well, from his troubled relationship with his father to his caring relationship with Kauwtje to his blossoming bond with Yenthe, his new friend. Good stuff.

The movie does have a sad ending (Kauwtje flies away and dies), and I'm honestly not sure how to feel about Jojo repairing his bond with his father? On the one hand, yes, Jojo is the one who gets to decide if he wants to forgive his abusive dad, but on the other hand I kinda wish his father got more comeuppance for acting like that. One also has to wonder why Child Protective Services (or whatever the Dutch equivalent is) never once appeared in the picture. Because this was definitely a situation where they should've at least been mentioned in some capacity.

But overall a good movie. Some decent child acting, the bird is cute, the relationships are well-written and our main character is enjoyable.