First Cow
First Cow
First Cow
Directed by:
Kelly ReichardtCinematography:
Christopher BlauveltComposer:
William TylerCast:
John Magaro, Ewen Bremner, Toby Jones, Orion Lee, Rene Auberjonois, Scott Shepherd, Todd A. Robinson, John Keating, Ted Rooney, Dylan Smith, Clayton Nemrow (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Kelly Reichardt once again trains her perceptive and patient eye on the Pacific Northwest, this time evoking an authentically hardscrabble early nineteenth century way of life. A taciturn loner and skilled cook (John Magaro) has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) also seeking his fortune; soon the two collaborate on a successful business, although its longevity is reliant upon the clandestine participation of a nearby wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. From this simple premise Reichardt constructs an interrogation of foundational Americana that recalls her earlier triumph Old Joy in its sensitive depiction of male friendship, yet is driven by a mounting suspense all its own. Reichardt again shows her distinct talent for depicting the peculiar rhythms of daily living and ability to capture the immense, unsettling quietude of rural America. (A24)
(more)Reviews (2)
A gentle anti-western about donuts, a sad cow, men who like to clean up, and a country to which history is yet to come. The moment when Gary Farmer appears on the screen is just confirmation of the fact that since the time of Dead Man, this productive subgenre has not produced anything even half as subtle, elegant, well-directed, excellently written and peculiarly acted. I applaud.
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An anecdote about how a Chinese guy goes to the chief factor for milk stretched into a terribly tender bromance where lonely men bake cookies and carry flowers in a harsh and cold wilderness where death ultimately feels like a caress and satisfaction. And somehow, mysteriously, it still plays completely hetero.
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