First Cow (2020)

Set in 1820 Oregon, a cook (John Magaro) traveling with a group of fur trappers discovers a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) on the run for killing a Russian. Eventually, they bond and move in together as the cook makes biscuits and cookies and sells them. He gets the milk for his baking by secretly milking the only cow in the settlement. Based on the novel THE HALF LIFE by Jonathan Raymond and directed by Kelly Reichardt (WENDY AND LUCY). This is a simple minimalist film about loneliness, friendship, dreams and greed. Patience is a virtue while watching the movie because it moves at the pace of a tortoise. But if you can deal with that, you'll be rewarded with a lovely elegiac piece of cinema. It's light on plot but it's the kind of film poetry that resonates long after its over. The acting is good and sometimes more than that. John Magaro's performance may be my favorite performance by an actor in 2020. It's the kind of natural, subtle performance where you're not even aware of the acting, it just is. With Toby Jones, Rene Auberjonois and Scott Shepherd.