By Steve Crum

The aptly named First Cow has much going for it, including high likability. If it is not the most original screenplay of the year, it is definitely in the running. It is also a western by strict definition, set in Oregon, but by no means stereotypical of the genre. Consider First Cow a dark horse winner. 

Make that dark bovine.

Although this is Kelly Reichardt’s first major theatrical film, her style of writing and directing shorter and more independent movies is branded throughout First Cow. Its 121 minutes is told with minimalist direction, and set (like her previous, critically acclaimed work) in a rural Oregon community. The time is 1820. The central character is a short, dorky, and constantly harassed Otis “Cookie” Figowitz. “Cookie” (John Magaro—Orange is the New Black) is appropriately nicknamed since he travels with trappers through the wilderness, serving as their chief (and only) cook. He also has to bag the game he serves.

<Let’s pause here to explain the 19th Century story is told in flashback after a modern day opening that involves a lady hiker discovering two buried skeletons in the woods. More later?>

Cookie crosses paths during one night with King-Lu (Orion Lee), a Chinese immigrant on the run for murder. He is sheltered and hidden from the trappers until King-Lu can escape. Later reunited in a muddy settlement, the two decide to share a shack and plan for a moneymaking future. Their scheme involves cuisine cooking (Cookie has been chef trained Back East), with a plan to sell bakery items to settlement folks. It is all a well and tasty good plan except for the fact there is no available milk. 

Enter wealthy settlement Brit, Chief Factor (Toby Jones—Truman Capote in Infamous), who just happens to be the owner of THE only cow in the region. Stealing the cow’s milk late at night is the answer. Ironically, Factor becomes a fan of Cookie and King-Lu’s delicious biscuits that contain the mysterious “secret ingredient.” 

The obvious comedic elements of the slow paced First Cow segue into drama and tragedy, all the while showcasing authentic looking period surroundings thanks to Reichardt and her cinematographer, Christopher Blauvelt. Costuming and set design are A-1. 

First Cow’s screenplay was co-written by resident Oregonian Jonathan Raymond, and based upon his book, The Half Life. 

Reichardt’s previous films were earmarked for their ambiguous endings, and this one follows suit. First Cow both begins and ends with a mystery. 

That might frustrate some viewers, but it works pretty beautifully. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: A-