Two humans and a bovine hatch a plan in First Cow, the latest from co-writer and director Kelly Reichardt.
That’s right, we’re getting another Reichardt movie, and in case you don’t know, that makes me very excited. She’s revolutionized the western with her slow burn looks at the waning of the American dream, tossing aside shoot ’em ups in favor of intimate character studies. Her last film, Certain Women, is probably her best known, but Wendy & Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff, Old Joy, and Rivers of Grass have also earned great esteem. Fame has not come with it, and while her movies rarely travel outside the States, she’s low-key one of the greatest filmmakers working and you should be hyped for First Cow.
Reichardt’s taking us back to pioneer days with this one, following two men who meet in Oregon Territory as fur trappers. They smell a new business whipping up tasty treats when a wealthy neighbor brings a cow to their corner of the world, but keeping the cow, and hence the milk, available to them will be tricky. Something tells me Reichardt is going to take a more languid approach to the problem than that heisty setup might imply.
Look, she makes character pieces, so get ready to see a lot of John Magaro and Orion Lee as the two trappers hanging out. They’ll probably get caught up in the wistful possibilities of America (i.e. the cow), so get ready to wallow in the beautiful muck that is the West.
First Cow is directed by Kelly Reichardt and stars John Magaro, Orion Lee, and some cow actor. It will be released in the US on March 6th, 2020. Further release dates are not currently known.
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