Ballad of a White Cow

My favorite LCD Soundsystem lyric, from “Someone Great”, cuts right to the worst of grief: “…the coffee isn’t even bitter”. The surreal nature of being asked, perhaps even forced, to move on as normal after a loss represents the emotional space “Cow” stays in for its duration, rightly trusting in its patient cinematography and Maryam Moqadam’s performance (she also co-wrote and co-directed) to keep the audience engaged throughout. A couple of instances of overwrought plot elements and minor editing choices I didn’t like, including a prominent use of a stock wind sound effect, can’t bring this outstanding work down much.

8