There are certain films out there that you just feel like you need. Films that aren’t too emotionally devastating, overly beautiful, or gut-bustingly hilarious. Just nice and peaceful. Films that are just quiet and let the setting and cinematography do the storytelling for you, but it’s never boring. That’s First Cow, the latest from renowned production company A24. I’d be more happy than rank this among some of their best once I see this a second time, because I truly believe they’ve done it again.
Positives
This is my introduction to director Kelly Reichardt and from what I hear, the aesthetic she presents here is similar to that of her other films. If that’s the case, then I want to binge everything she’s done now. She’s a true artist and it shows. The whole countryside setting and the portrayal of the time period along with the 1.37:1 aspect ratio, (it’s not an A24 film without a unique aspect ratio), fits the tone of the film extremely well. We get slow pans and long shots of the landscapes to have us get a sense of the size and scope of this area, and even with the closed in aspect ratio. There is never a boring shot within this film, everything is framed and presented like a photography piece you’d see at an art museum, while also feeling like you’re there with them. I can’t imagine someone watching this and looking at these shots and thinking the film is boring. Even with the storyline being nothing we haven’t seen before, this is one of the more engaging films I’ve seen in quite a while.
Also, the music by William Tyler is incredibly peaceful and fits the film perfectly! The use of guitar and banjo puts you right in this setting and lets you walk around it. The very beginning of the film is literally nothing but the electric guitar melody along with the opening credits, and from that point on, I was transported into the film.
John Magaro and Orion Lee carry this film on their shoulders. Magaro is the lead and he gives such a quiet, yet engaging performance and I cannot wait to see what he does next. Even though I loved Magaro in the film, it’s Lee who gave my absolute favorite performance in the entire movie. Orion Lee starts off as a kind gentle soul who wants to do what he can to help, and then turns into someone willing to put his future on the line for his friend. Lee pulls this off perfectly. I really hope he will have the opportunity to lead films one day because I do believe he will go down as one of the great actors in the coming years.
Negatives
In terms of story, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. The story goes as a man discovers something that’s apparently very profitable and makes business out of it, and an older richer man comes out and wants full control over it. Something we’ve all seen before. But the way the movie was filmed, scored, written, and acted, it didn’t really bother me. I was more invested on the growing friendship between the two leads than the actual plot itself, so I was never bored.
It’s also a bit too long. The runtime is 2 hours and 2 minutes, when the movie would’ve been fine at 1 hour 45 minutes, but again, it didn’t bother me too much.
Representation
It’s pretty woke, but not the most woke thing in existence. Kelly Reichardt is a female director to look out for. I’ve yet to see all of her films but she makes this film her own and gives it her own aesthetic. She gives such a great name to female directors out there.
One of the leads, Orion Lee, is an Asian man, and again he was above and beyond my favorite character/performance. Having an Asian in the lead role in an American film isn’t very heard of nowadays, so I applaud First Cow for making it happen! This is huge in terms of representation in film! Not only that, the character is such a humble presence and his character always stands up for what’s right. It seems like he’s the voice of reason and always comes to the rescue when things go awry. I truly believe he’ll become one of the best working actors in the coming years, because I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Lets hope this opens the door for more Asian lead films!
I do wish that the female characters and the black characters were more present, though. They don’t really do much and they’re pretty forgettable. I can’t even remember any of their names. It’s great to have an Asian man as the lead and a woman director is always great, but I want more development to more diverse characters. Not just people in the background who don’t do much. It’s disappointing to say that, because they were going in the right direction in terms of representation.
Conclusion
First Cow is the first legitimately GREAT movie of 2020. Though we’re still early, on I can see this one landing in my best of the year list by the end of the year. It’s peaceful, loving, entertaining, and gorgeously shot it’s something we all need right now.
