First Cow movie review – pure cinematic moo-phoria
For European fans of independent filmmaker Kelly Reichardt, it’s been a long wait for the director’s first film since 2016’s Certain Women. Released at the beginning of March 2020 in the US, we’ve had to wait over a year longer because… well, you know why. Nevertheless, First Cow is a pleasant period piece that is well worth the wait.
Set in 1820 in a pioneering Oregon settlement, it focuses on Otis “Cookie” Figowitz (John Magaro), a chef in the settlement with dreams of opening a bakery or hotel in San Francisco. He meets King-Lu (Orion Lee), a Chinese immigrant on the run for killing a man. The pair strike up a friendship and hatch a plan that caters to both Cookie’s love of baking and Lu’s dream of farming.
The pair secretly steal milk from a cow owned by Chief Factor (Toby Jones), the wealthiest man in the settlement, with a view to making cookies they can sell. The cookies are a hit, giving the pair hope that they may make enough money to move on, but keeping their scheme quiet proves harder than expected.
Told in the manner of a short story, those idly watching might accuse First Cow of being a film in which nothing happens, but just like the opening scene, where a modern-day woman (Allie Shawkat) discovers a hint of their fate, there’s more going on beneath the surface.
The Meek’s Cutoff filmmaker returns to familiar territory, and similar themes to her past work. It’s a deceptively simple premise, told in a slow and deliberate manner. Our heroes are more sensitive than the world they find themselves in, and their friendship is portrayed in tiny gestures and turns of phrase.
With kind eyes and a soft manner, Magaro is easy to fall in with as a character. We meet Cookie as he helps a small lizard get back on its feet, and his second meeting with Lu has a calm, amiable tone that’s echoed in the rustic soundtrack, and wooded surrounds. There’s a lightness to Lee, the energy of a man enjoying a great adventure, and the pair complement each other well with their humble aspirations.
He’s played plenty of antagonists before, but Jones elicits extra resentment for standing in the way of the most modest of capers. He’s delightful as a pompous old man who fetishizes his own Englishness (the only reason he has a cow is because he insists on having milk in his tea). Considering he is technically a victim here, both the script and actor do their best to drain any sympathy away.
A calm, relaxing voyage into a chapter of American history, First Cow doesn’t possess the urgency of most independent cinema, and that’s exactly what makes it so memorable.
First Cow is in cinemas from 28 May and on streaming service MUBI from 9th July.