LeonardHaid

Intense, true-to-life Canadiana drama in alcohol-fueled Northern Alberta. Can't believe I missed this one all these years, but it was worth the wait. Fascinating insight into First Nations family life, its mingling with European culture, and how people get along or don't get along ultimately depends on individual personalities, and not as much social grouping and ancestral ties. Extremely well-written, and Tantoo Cardinal is amazing as usual. Easy to follow despite the twists and turns, down-to-earth and no-nonsense throughout despite its intricasies and its unravelling of the tapestry of human psychology.

I gave First Cow another chance, and I'm glad I did. The first time I watched it I thought what the hell is this.

The average film is what, a couple of hours long? This means that the entire span of someone's sometimes most acute period of life is reduced to two hours. So you'd think that every second would count in a film. Anyway, this was the mindset I had when I watched, that is, attempted to watch, First Cow for the first time. Many wasted seconds right off the bat in the film. Why does the dog have to keep sniffing around and sniffing around and sniffing around. Why does that scene where the boat is moving lazily along the river have to keep going on and on. Why does the young woman have to keep fiddling around so much in the dirt. I did not make it past that first scene. Pretentious arthouse trash alert. Why waste my time.

Fast forward a year later and there First Cow was on my free online Sundance Film 7-day trial. I watched it again, and was more patient this time? I don't know, something was different. I slogged through the first part - it was still a slog - but then it got better. And eventually I was captivated. But for me, the crowning achievement of the film was how its final scene made all of those "wasted seconds" during the first scene not seem wasted anymore, how brilliantly the final scene was tied to the first scene.

Now I think First Cow is a masterpiece, quite the 180 from at first thinking it was "pretentious arthouse trash", to quote myself. Days later and I'm still haunted by this wonderful film, in the best sense of the word.

Guy paddles and portages across the Arctic as nonchalantly as a walk in the park. Maybe that's a testament to his mettle, but this film is strangely - considering the undertaking and the setting - lacking in drama and grit. Maybe that has to do with Adam's personality being rather bland? Maybe because in order to stay rational, calm, focused, and patient at all times, Adam has to treat what is a magnificent adventure to us simply as a daily grind to himself? Surely SOMETHING must have happened that made him shake his fist at God, make him fear death, make him dig the deepest he's ever dug into his foundation in order to get through some seemingly insurmountable ordeal....but apparently not. Maybe because he was just so prepared, and could rely on the latest technology to navigate so he would never get into trouble? Maybe because he's just a real level-headed guy at all times? Maybe because he just got real lucky as far as no bad things happening, like with the weather, with aggressive animals, or with equipment failure? Overall, considering the subject matter, the task performed, and the incredible setting, the film is strangely low-key, and somewhat flat, like the tundra.