Nomadland

I love the non sequiturs of Kelly Reichardt, so I'm fine with not much happening in a movie. I don't need bushels of plot.

But, despite, McDormand's brave contribution, I didn't think director Zhao hit the mark. For me, the pro actors didn't quite mesh with the real folks.

You could run the movie in reverse, it wouldn't make that much difference, such is its neutral tone and low affect throughout.

A drifter movie that just drifts. Nowhere near as good as American Honey, which is holding up as one of the great American drifter movies of this century or the last.

I have to imagine 'Nomadland' is a hard sell for general audiences. There isn't really a plot, per se, beyond what any one-line premise conveys. Yet that's not the intention, anyway: 'Nomadland' isn't narrative fiction. It's a quasi-fictional portrait of America. And in showing us the country we don't see, it excels.

Great credit (and much deserved accolades) are due to Chloé Zhao, who not only directs here but also serves as producer and editor, and who also wrote the screenplay. While there are characters, and a loosely scattered progression of events, this is not a conventional film. More than anything I'm reminded of short films of the sort that probe some esoteric concept, with free flow between scarcely related scenes that encourage audiences to draw their own conclusions. It's a style that's a unique challenge for viewer and filmmaker alike, even over a mere 5, 10, 15 minute runtime - and 'Nomadland' is a full-length feature.

It does seem at times like the movie leaps too quickly from one scene to another; it becomes difficult to appreciate what one moment is conveying before we move on to another. Yet that also seems a bit appropriate, and intentional: after all, this is a story about modern-day nomads, who move from place to place and see many things without putting down roots. How perfect to capture that same spirit in the crafting of a film?

Through that construction, and the scenes laid before us, there is indeed much to glean from 'Nomadland.' Opening title cards and occasional dialogue relating economic and personal, financial hardship work toward that end, as well, but only show a small part of the picture. The feature follows an individual on a journey, yet what it's really about is a lost sense of exploration, freedom, and openness. It's about the bonds placed on us by a society and economic structure that demands endless labor and rigid obeisance; the trade-off of opportunity that comes with uncertainty - and the confinement that stability demands.

'Nomadland' explores, through protagonist Fern and the people she meets, the incredible diversity of our country, and the natural wonders it contains, that our societal structure purposefully keeps us from witnessing - a caged animal won't yearn for freedom if it doesn't know what it's missing. It examines the bizarre dichotomy between the found community that pops up in wide, open spaces, and the disconnection that's felt in those places where people live close together.

It offers a perspective on poverty, homelessness, and class structure that gets lost for those of us who have known relative comfort. We so often are told to look down upon people who seem to have less, and live different or more austere lifestyles. Capitalism gives us false promises of elevation while also evilly casting any apparent lack - of material goods, of nebulous success - as a moral failing. But it's all a transparent illusion meant to put up walls where true community, and mutual aid, should exist instead. And 'Nomadland' gives us all this and more in the form of scene by scene snapshots, not unlike the glimpses of the independent lifestyle nomads lead.

For seeming to do so little, 'Nomadland' says so very much.

Zhao wears many hats for this film, and does so deftly, with skills as a writer that matches those of her editing, and direction. There are many beautiful shots in this movie, of landscape and person alike. Zhao expertly captures the far-ranging emotions of her subjects, which apparently includes some real-life nomads portraying fictionalized versions of themselves. That, too, lends authenticity to the picture, and greater credence to the themes and notions it touches upon. Moreover, the somewhat minimalist original score by composer Ludovico Einaudi builds still further upon the emotional heft in 'Nomadland,' to great success.

A long time ago I would have said that 'Nomadland' isn't the sort of movie I'm interested in, what with the bare threads of plot and lack of narrative action or conflict. That's certainly not true any more, but it's still not the easiest film to sit through. Because this is a feature where what a viewer sees is far less important than what they perceive between the proverbial lines, and there is a great deal to pick up on as such.

I can absolutely see why this has garnered so much acclaim, and so many awards. By the nature of how and why it is crafted, 'Nomadland' isn't going to be for everyone. Yet for those who give it a try and are open to learning, it is a fantastic cinematic experience well worth the investment.

When people put themselves in vulnerable positions, bad things can happen. This is a human interaction movie which shows us believable people, meeting and gaining sparks from one another. Francis McDormand has become a premier actress. She's not attractive in a movie star sense, but she has one of the most expressive faces I've ever seen in film. Granted, we don't get to see the harsh side of the equation, which would include theft, intimidation, physical harm, and mental illness. Nevertheless, I found myself transfixed. She worked so hard and her spirit was seldom defeated. How can people be giving this a one. It tells me how jaded we have become. I guess there is a faction that feels the need to take down something that is hyped as if they have some power in their shortsightedness. I'm not saying it is a perfect movie but to say it is paint drying? I guess there weren't enough superheroes or aliens in it.

This movie definitely does a good job of immersing you in the world of being a nomad. One of the best things about it is the performances it gets from the real-life nomads who are in this movie. What's interesting though is that as it goes on it is less about this nomad life and more about one person's grief from losing her husband. It was very frustrating at times watching Fern say no to opportunities at a more stable life. I did like the fact that no one in this movie was a bad person. There are moments where you think something bad will happen but it doesn't. Everyone is looking out for each other. It's not the type of movie I would watch again but it's worth seeing once.

My thoughts on this film: I can see how this movie is not for everyone, but I enjoyed it. I think, if you have even a remote interest in a nomad lifestyle, life on the road, extended road trips in campervans, then you would like this movie. It certainly shines a spotlight on a very small and unexplored part of society. There are actually people out there, in this day and age, who live in vans and travel around, working in different places. Who knew? And how exiting! And how lonely and intriguing. Why would someone do this? I get it, I'm adventurous, but how desolate and maybe even a little depressing. That lifestyle is certainly not for the faint of heart. You have to wonder about the mental health of some of these people, but that's in all walks of life, I suppose. And I think, in a way, that a lot of nomads are scarred in some way, and that's why they keep moving, keep trying to find themselves or something.

And then there's the protagonist. Who is she and why doesn't she let people get too close to her? My only really complaint about her character is that they could have given her a little more personality.

Ah, the cinematography. Simply stunning.

The ending was less than satisfying.

Overall, I think it was a lovely movie. I certainly thought about it for a long time afterwards. I don't feel it was best picture award-worthy, but I'm not an Academy member, so I've no say in the matter. A very solid 7 out of 10 IMDB stars from me.