Nomadland 2020
Nomadland got stellar reviews when it came out, but its release was very limited and people, including me, were not going to theaters because of Covid. After it won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress, it got a wider release, and now I was vaccinated, but I still just barely missed it. I wound up buying it on Vudu and finally watched it, knowing very little about it. It is a slow-moving character study centering on Frances McDormand’s character, Fern, who lives in her van that she has turned into a micro-camper, moving from job to job and place to place. It is a gritty lifestyle with its own pleasures and a lot of nice scenery in the American West, largely filmed at sunset for added effect. McDormand looks pretty weathered, just as much as the rest of the cast, many of whom are the actual nomads described in the non-fiction book the movie is based on. You can tell the characters aren’t actors sometimes, but they still feel authentic, similar to a lot of indie movies. There are a lot of scenes of everyday life on the road and you will find out where you go to the bathroom if you live in a van. Repeatedly. While beautifully shot and authentic, it is also a little mundane. These are everyday people dealing with life with minimal resources, not really people that Hollywood usually makes movies about. They are nice to each other and there aren’t any bad guys. Even working at Amazon during the Christmas rush is shown positively. This is not The Florida Project. The movie has its rewards, but you have to be patient and not expect too much. I can see how some people will go crazy about this movie about real life and real people, but you can also go talk to people you don’t know (or that you do) and get the same kind of result. So I can’t give it quite as much acclaim as the movie critics, but I still enjoyed it. Given that it was a historically weak year for movies, it still finishes second on my list behind the only film so far that got an A, Hamilton.
Written: 19 Jul 2021
Owned on: Blu-ray, Digital