Trailer for FIRST COW Tells an Inspiring Story Set in the American Wilderness
I’ve got a wonderful trailer here for you to watch today for an upcoming little film called First Cow. The movie comes from director Kelly Reichardt, and it tells a wonderfully inspiring and tender tale set in the American wilderness in the 1820s.
The film is based on The Half Life by Jonathan Raymond and it stars John Magaro and Orion Lee as a pair of friends trying to make a life in the Pacific Northwest and start a little business with the help of a prized milking cow. Here’s the synopsis:
Kelly Reichardt once again trains her perceptive and patient eye on the Pacific Northwest, this time evoking an authentically hardscrabble early nineteenth century way of life. A taciturn loner and skilled cook (John Magaro) has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) also seeking his fortune; soon the two collaborate on a successful business, although its longevity is reliant upon the clandestine participation of a nearby wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. From this simple premise Reichardt constructs an interrogation of foundational Americana that recalls her earlier triumph Old Joy in its sensitive depiction of male friendship, yet is driven by a mounting suspense all its own. Reichardt again shows her distinct talent for depicting the peculiar rhythms of daily living and ability to capture the immense, unsettling quietude of rural America.
I enjoy films that tell these kinds of stories in this setting. It might not be anything crazy or exciting, but if there’s a good story to tell, that’s all that matters, and this looks like it tell a good story. First Cow opens in theaters on March 6.