If you know the name Kelly Reichardt (“Meek’s Cutoff,” “Night Moves”), you know exactly what kind of movie “First Cow” is going to be. The screenwriter/director has made a career out of telling stories set in the American Midwest, in various different time periods, and this is no exception.
There’s a thick fog that seems to linger over every aspect of “First Cow.” The sets, dialogue, characters, events. It all has a very authentic feeling, one of those films where it genuinely comes across as if the actors and director were the only ones on set. It lives and dies on its atmosphere, and luckily Reichardt has injected a wry sense of wit and critique into this gold rush era tale.
John Magaro (“Not Fade Away,” “The Umbrella Academy”) stars as Cookie, a former indentured cook who just wants to make people happy and serve them good food. He has an apathetic nature to him that just begs you to fall in love with him. His warmth and kind nature shines through the entire film, and his gentle soul is simply a delight. He’s the kind of character that makes you smile simply by smiling himself.
His friend and business partner King-Lu, played by Orion Lee (“Only You,” “Chimerica”), is equally interesting. He’s far more blunt than Cookie, and his is the eye for business. Yet, as much as they disagree on the reasons behind their business, their love for each other is real. It has been a long time since a friendship has been portrayed so honestly and easily as it is here.
Yes, while King-Lu wants to make money, he also wants people to buy their food so his friend can continue to make it, and this is absolutely clear. As much as Cookie just wants to cook for people, it takes King-Lu to bring him around and help him become a bit more outgoing, and you feel for these two every moment they’re together.
The supporting cast helps maintain Reichardt’s somewhat serious, somewhat comedic tone authentically. Toby Jones (“Infamous,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”) plays a British aristocrat always a few steps behind everyone else and Ewen Bremner (“Trainspotting,” “Wonder Woman (2017)”) plays a somewhat bumbling and self-aggrandizing Scottish guardsman for Jones’s aristocrat. They’re excellent, helping to maintain the tonal shifts as the film moves from a slightly bent heist story to a more serious tale of survival.
This is where the biggest trouble comes with reviewing a film like “First Cow.” It is a slow film, often times with characters simply going through the motions and living their lives. We aren’t even introduced to what the central concept of the film is for about 20-25 minutes. And yet, despite the deliberately slow pace, things never feel like a drag.
It might be because of Reichardt’s script or just the chemistry between Magaro and Lee, but this is simply one of those films that fun to watch because you want to spend time with the main characters. You grow to care about them. It virtually fails to provide anything resembling a traditional “plot”, but it nevertheless tells their tale efficiently, even if it does lack a real ending.
Maybe this was the point, and it seems like it very well might have been. It’s a gorgeous looking film regardless of plot however. The forests and gold rush era setting dazzle with their authenticity and it becomes a nice respite to a time of simpler visual aesthetics. Cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt (“Meek’s Cutoff,” “mid90s”) uses the 4:3 aspect ratio simply and effectively, blending some great shot construction and depth work with the dream-like oldness of the setting.
“First Cow” is a slow film that somehow doesn’t feel slow thanks to the chemistry between its lead actors. Its easy to nitpick it apart, but what Reichardt has delivered is an enjoyable tale with dreamlike qualities and a non-standard plot that just wants to be about why people love food and why capitalism can be a killer. It’s a quaint film, nothing less and nothing more, and its all the better for it. 4/5
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