FIRST COW (B+) - This might be the lightest of Kelly Reichardt's tales of Americana, but it is deeply satisfying nonetheless. It is a film about friendship, an Old West caper touched by whimsy and melancholy.
Reichardt is, arguably, the best storyteller working in American film, who has previously explored manifest destiny ("Meek's Cutoff") and the interplay of same-sex platonic relationships ("Certain Women"), even friendships between human and animal ("Wendy and Lucy"). Here, in Oregon in 1820, a cook, Otis "Cookie" Figowitz (John Magaro), befriends an unintentional outlaw, King-Lu (Orion Lee), as they develop a scheme to steal, by cover of night, the milk of the first cow ever brought to the territory, the prize animal of Chief Factor (Toby Jones). With it they make Cookie's signature buttermilk biscuits that sell like hotcakes, well enough to advance the pair's dreams of heading to the big city of San Francisco. That's essentially the entire plot, which unfolds methodically over two hours.
With sparse, effective dialogue, Reichardt is in no hurry here. The cow itself doesn't show up until 50 minutes into the film. When she does, Cookie treats her like a cherished mate, calming her in the middle of the night and assuring her that her milk is beloved by all. Magaro and Lee have a modern casualness to them. Reichardt doesn't seem to be signaling gay undertones here (though when they meet King-Lu is hiding naked, and the men do make house together in a shack -- and there is, of course, the references to San Francisco), but rather truly aims to focus on a pure male friendship. In a way, this could be a prequel to Reichardt's seminal 2006 film about a reunion in the woods, "Old Joy."
Alia Shawkat appears in a cameo at the beginning, in a scene drenched in foreshadowing that pretty much tips Reichardt's hand at how this whole thing will end for our devious duo. But here, it's about the journey, not the destination. The characters seem to be signaling to its modern audience with time-traveling code. "History isn't here yet. It's coming, but we got here early this time," one of the men intones to the other. "Maybe this time we can be ready for it. We can take it on our own terms." Message received; patience rewarded.
BONUS TRACK
Lovely, spare music from William Tyler babbles like a lazy river throughout, with "A Closing" over the end credits:
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