First Cow (2020)
A simple western about the origin of the American Dream.
Director: Kelly Reichardt · Writers: Kelly Reichardt, Jonathan Raymond
In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow—the first, and only, in the territory.
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Trailer
Director
Kelly Reichardt
Cast
John Magaro
Cookie 
Orion Lee
King-Lu 
Toby Jones
Chief Factor 
Ewen Bremner
Lloyd 
Scott Shepherd
Captain 
Gary Farmer
Totillicum 
Lily Gladstone
Chief Factor’s Wife 
Alia Shawkat
Woman with Dog 
Dylan Smith
Trapper Jack 
Ryan Findley
Trapper Dame
Manuel Rodriguez
Trapper Bill 
Patrick D. Green
Russian Trapper User Reviews (4)
'First Cow' may show an origin of capitalism, but unlike the wild west of Wall Street, Reichardt points to an alternate reality where it's not the muscle of capitalism that conquers, but rather the sweet companionship and commitment to fellowship that will, not the greed of self-interest. In Reichardt's world, greed is a modern illness, and it's only when Cookie and King-Lu's solidarity falters that their lives begin to unravel. People will succeed in cooperation, not at the expense of others - a lesson that feels even more important now in 2020 than it may have ever felt in 1820. - Joel Kalkopf Read Joel's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-first-cow-a-minimalist-portrait-of-the-american-dream 8/10/2020 4 stars
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com As you should know by now, I love watching films as blind as possible: no trailers and a minimum amount of information about the plot (or none at all). A24 became such a popular studio that I don’t even need to know anything else about the movie, I’m always in. Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros., Disney, and Columbia might be the Big Five of film studios, but gradually people are starting to shift their attention to smaller, independent ones who deliver fewer movies per year, but a higher ratio of great films. This is also the very first movie I watch from Kelly Reichardt. The simplest of research will show everyone that her films are meant to heavily divide critics and audiences, so which side do I fall on this time? I’m not trying to patronize anyone, but First Cow belongs to t…
This is a gently comedic story of a couple of pioneering Oregon frontiersmen. Cook-cum-baker John Magaro ("Cookie") who falls in with the entrepreneurial "King-Lu" (Orion Lee). The pair quickly realise that there is a decent amount of money to be made by indulging the sweet teeth of their fellow hardy companions - and when they discover that the local headman has had a cow delivered - the only one for miles - a clandestine business that involves purloining the milk from said cow to enhance their cakes offers riches, but some risk too - the factor (Toby Jones) is unaware that his is, technically, the manna from which these delicious sweets are being made. What follows is a little bit predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable to watch as they try to stay one step ahead of their increasingly cognisant boss. Director Kelly Reichardt takes her time to introduce us to the pair, and to let the sto…
For sure not a Hollywood film. This film is a beautifully executed character study about friendship.
