The pioneer era of early America is one that is very often explored in cinema, whether it be through horror or typical, period-piece drama. While most of it is fairly expansive in how it shows the countryside of our early settlers and broad in how it explores these legendary stories, very few take the time to connect its audience to the characters and their small-scale stories on a personal level. First Cow is the first film I have seen taking place during this era that I have truly felt invested in the characters. Despite how menial their mission might seem to some audiences, director Kelly Reichardt instills an inescapable sense of humanity into her story that is not just a stylistic choice, but one that helped me to really feel for these settlers. Along with the cinematography, production design, and Reichardt's editing, this movie is a wholesome look at one of the harshest times of our country. I really adored every second of this and while I did have a bit of a double-edged issue with the pacing, Reichardt chocks this film full of the pure kindness and human spirit that we all could use.
After traveling with a group of fur trappers in Oregon, the amicable and skilled chef Cookie (John Magaro) becomes friends with King Lu (Orion Lee), a Chinese immigrant that is just trying to make his living looking for gold. The two of them strike up a business in which they use the milk from the very first cow brought into their region to make and sell small pastries and oily cakes. Their business is threatened, however, when the owner of the cow Chief Factor (Toby Jones) begins to suspect that is getting stolen from. Kelly Reichardt's writing and direction throughout this film are absolutely incredible. Adapting the story from the novel by Jonathan Raymond, she turns this quaint, little story into something absolutely awe-inspiring. I never would have thought that I could be so engaged by a story about two men making tasty cakes in the pioneer days but here we are. Her direction is incredibly soft yet powerful as she tells this story with the most flawless direction. There is something about this film that is infinitely comforting and even in the tensest of scenes, I knew that these characters were going to be in good hands. I also found it to be a very interesting choice to begin the film with a framing narrative and not bring back the young woman (Alia Shawkat) from the very first scenes. Many of Reichardt's choices like these all worked together in order to bring a sort of loneliness to the film. However, many of her storytelling choices did not make the audience feel too down or disparaged throughout the film: quite the opposite. The warmth that radiates through her writing and into the characters provided such a fantastically optimistic atmosphere and one that suits this story incredibly well.
The human spirit is often broken by rough events like the Gold Rush and the way that Reichardt portrays that is excellent. This is seen through the two main characters of Cookie and King Lu and their friendship is so tender and well-developed. I adore how First Cow touches a lot on male friendship and seen through the eyes of such a talented woman filmmaker, a lot of genuine truth is explored. Cookie and King Lu, while very different in upbringings, become best friends despite the difficulties they had to overcome to make their cakes and none of their dialogue ever became too cheesy or unbelievable. I love how Reichardt and Raymond write their relationship and even though the ending of this film might be too bleak for some, it was perfect given the reality of their world. The performances from Magaro and Lee were also incredibly subtle in their emotion yet so powerful. They are truly two soft boys who are able to use their undeniable chemistry together to make the story as impactful as possible. Kelly Reichardt also edited this film and her long, extended takes were gorgeous. I do feel like the film could have benefitted from a little bit tighter of direction, as there were some moments in scenes that I did not feel worked, but her direction and editing worked together very fluidly. And let's not forget about the real star of this film, either: Eve the cow! Her adorable presence brings a much-needed light to this film and her relationship with Cookie was as adorable as it was heartbreaking.
First Cow is a touching, adorable story about the pioneer times that is such a refreshing take on the genre. Reichardt absolutely succeeds in telling this little story the right way and along with her editing, makes sure that it is told in the most humane yet interesting way possible. I definitely see this film being one of my favorites this year; not just because it might be one of the only movies coming out (thanks, coronavirus) but because of its genuine ability to inspire.
My Rating: ★★★★
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