First Cow

Kelly Reichardt's kind-natured, unrushed seventh feature spotlights a very human need for meaningful connection. Set in the leafy Oregon Territory of 1820, the drama follows Cookie (John Magaro), a gentle traveller who prepares food for a short-tempered cohort of fur trappers. When he encounters Chinese immigrant King-Lu (Orion Lee), an ambitious vagabond, the pair forge a connection and set up a makeshift baking business. The key ingredient in the latter is milk they steal from a cow belonging to the Chief Factor, a wealthy English governor (Toby Jones). Both the men's bond and the baked delights they create are sweet and pleasurable to watch. Reichardt keeps the surrounding film loosely structured and handsomely crafted - William Tyler's rich score is a highlight - which elevates this sensory, subtle study of friendship.