“First Cow” (2019) is the latest film by Kelly Reichardt (director of “Meek’s Cutoff” and “Old Joy”) and in my opinion, her best.  

It follows a character named Otis “Cookie” Figowitz (John Magaro) and his companion King Lu (Orion Lee).  The film begins in present time with a woman (Alia Shawkat) discovering the skeletal remains of two people lying side by side. This subtle yet intriguing detail comes to thought many times throughout the film.        

The film is set in Northwestern U.S.A during the 1820s, and follows the exploits of King and Cookie as they set out to find a better life for themselves.  An opportunity arises when the first cow is introduced to the region. As with most films, what starts out as a successful endeavor soon becomes risky. The innate greed in mankind pushes them one step too far.

The story is simplistic, but conveyed through its subtle writing and execution, contains immense character. One scene that demonstrates the beautiful filmmaking is when King, reunited with Cookie, invites him to his make-shift home.  King goes out of his way to make Cookie feel welcome even so far as to leave him alone with his valuables while he gathers firewood.

King is concerned with making Cookie feel welcome and comfortable as a guest in his home. While King is outside of the house, Cookie takes it upon himself to sweep up around the man’s house and shake out his rug.  This level of generosity says a lot about the humanity of these characters, especially during this era where a need to survive far outweighs the necessity of kindness.      

 “First Cow” truly deserves to be praised for its expert directing as well as the film itself.  Reichardt tends to abruptly end her films as well as start them with little to no background.  Imagine a two-hour film where the first and last fifteen minutes are left out. It allows the watcher to discuss the narrative that exists in between the lines. 

The way she writes her characters is especially unique.  Her male characters have qualities that would not typically be seen in movies, especially male-directed ones.  The men possess a certain sensitivity, compassion, and sense of empathy that gives them more depth. Reichardt makes the viewer care for them beyond just sympathizing with their situation. These characters are what makes Kelly Reichardt a brilliant director.

There are some films that just stay with the viewer. Most of those films tend to be either disturbing, emotionally draining, or something in between. This film will stay with the viewer because of its beauty.  Reichardt demonstrates the sensitive and beautiful sides of manhood as well as the beauty in different male relationships. 

A film is only as good as the people surrounding it: the director, the screenwriter, the cast, the characters, etc. Based on that adage, it makes complete sense that this film would turn out to be as wonderful as it is.