Instant Favorite.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

David Lynch made this as part of a French TV series where various foreign directors directed segments about how they see the French. It is about a group of stupid cowboys who encounter a wandering Frenchman. Cue a culture clash and a host of clichés associated with Americans and French. Starring Lynch regulars Harry Dean Stanton and Jack Nance, The Cowboy and the Frenchman incorporates much of the silly humour typical of Lynch. The trouble is that it isn't very funny. Mainly it's just a bit annoying. It doesn't have any of the sinister and moody feeling more associated with the director. And that's most unfortunate. What it does have is a lot of tiresome comedy. Not recommended.

More like three, you have to count the Indian.Okay.This film is hilarious. David Lynch, always having the serious work he does with the dirty, bizarre worlds and the disturbing, psychological characters, mixes it up a bit with The Cowboy and the Frenchman, a tale (that doesn't really make sense, as per his usual work) about a bunch of cowboys who find a Frenchman and befriend him. The culture clash is more than one can handle, what with the mix of music, stereotype ("Damn, what's that? Damn, what's that? Damn, what's that? Damn, what's that? Damn, what's that?"), and caricature.In fact, the entire strength of this short rests on the moment the two underlings open up the Frenchman's case and start pulling out his "affairs", all of them stereotypical things Americans think the French are obsessed with but which are really just things they happen to have a lot of in their culture (the French equivalent would be opening up an American's suitcase and finding a pile of hamburgers and televisions).Not to say the cowboys don't get their collection of satire, what with shooting random animals, being absolutely stupid, and never understanding anything.It's piercingly funny, even if it is about five minutes too long and isn't really that much of a work of art as much as just a silly exposition.--PolarisDiB

This is a French tv show that David Lynch was commissioned to make and it is so funny. It is his take on American's perception of the French and all the cliches are thrown in. This is worth checking out just to see Harry Dean Stanton say "What the hell!" over and over again.

I recently had the opportunity to see all of David Lynch's short films (on a compilation entitled "The Short Films of David Lynch" narrated by the auteur himself, I love Lynch's art in any form I can get it.) The short films range from artsy to funny to sickening. The Cowboy and the Frenchman was certainly funny. If you liked On The Air, you'll love this film short. And if you get the opportunity to see the short films compilation, don't pass it up.