‘She’s a very fine cow…’
Like everyone, I have many cinematic pet hates. Films that are too long. Films that are too preachy. And one thing that really bugs me – films that are too dark. I don’t mean dark in the metaphorical sense. I’m all for the black corners of the soul. I mean when the film is literally too dark, as in when nobody can actually see what the hell is going on. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to First Cow…
Cookie (John Magaro), a skilled cook, travels west and hooks up with King-Lu (Orion Lee), a Chinese immigrant, to work on a business venture. First Cow is the story of how the two men share an unlikely bond in a harsh and brutal (and very dark) terrain.
Let us begin then with the fact that First Cow is at least thirty minutes too long, especially when considering that half the film seems to take place under the cover of an impenetrable darkness. There is probably some arty and clever reason why writer/director Kelly Reichardt has chosen to make a film that is so difficult to actually see, but I couldn’t for the life of me ascertain what that reason was. This is a shame because First Cow is a genuinely lovely concept that is beautifully acted in an understated and compelling way. Both Magaro and Lee do a great job in selling their unlikely union and a supporting cast featuring Ewen Bremner and Toby Jones also excel.
Ultimately, First Cow is a great concept that stumbles on the execution. While there is a lot here to enjoy, I can’t imagine anyone ever watching this movie twice.