| Nomadland (2021) | |
| Director: | Chloé Zhao |
| Cast: | Frances McDormand, Davis Strathairn, Linda May, Charlene Swankie |
| Release Date: | 2 April 2021 |
| Genre: | Western/Drama |
| IMDB: | 7.5/10 |
| Platform: | Disney+ Hotstar |
Nomadland Plot
A woman who had lost everything in the Great Recession of the United States. Nomadland tells the story of Fern, a woman in her sixties embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.
Nomadland Review
Nomadland introduces us to the Nomad community of the West, their lifestyle & bonding with one another. Based on Jessica Bruder’s 2017 non-fiction book of the same name which explores the life of nomads. The director, Chloe Zhao takes us into this life discovering journey along the rugged emptiness of Nevada, Nebraska, Arizona to search for the soul of living. Chloe leads with a stellar film with women steering their respective ships – and Nomadland is definitely a cut above the rest. The movie won 3 Oscars including Best Director, Best Actor (Frances McDormand) & Best movie.
See the full list here: https://movieping.com/93rd-academy-awards-wins-anthony-hopkins-chloe-zhao-many-more/
Nomadland tops the serenity. The movie is filled with tranquil, beautiful sceneries that depict the life of Fern. Director Zhao understands the intricacies, complexities, and transient nature of life and expertly weaves this into the story that has these dreamlike visuals that are as much about the land as they are about its people. Very little music in the film but even that has something to do with the pacing of the story & Fern’s life. The soundtrack as Fern meets & realizes different complexities of her & other’s life would give you goosebumps & make your heart heavy.
McDormand was the Charm
There have been several movies that came earlier on the topic of van dwelling life like Into The Wild(2007). But there is something different about this film. Here unlike many, van-dwelling is a necessity, not a choice. It is not as if you want to explore yourself so you embark on a similar journey, here it is more practical & necessarily not too joyous. However, the characters learn how to extract the joy & inspiration out of this lonely, harsh life.
This movie will make the audiences value what they already have & try & appreciate the smallest things in life. I think Frances McDormand has given one of the most powerful performances of her career as a woman living on and discovering the joys of the road, meeting new people in this affecting, memorable drama. She was so quiet, calm, piling up all her emotions inside her as she tries to gain inspiration from nature. She did a fantastic job of portraying a person who’s odd but kind. Her personal skills and yet extreme boundaries, and a lot of wisdom, resilience, pain, and sorrow were eventually a good fit for the life she chose. She was very true to her character. To put simply, she has outdone her.
Interestingly we get to see many real-life nomads too playing the fictionalized of themselves- Linda May, Charlene Swankie, Bob Wells who’s aN American Youtuber & van dweller. I think this makes the drama more interesting because when these characters speak, you know they are not only acting but they are true to the words that they might have experienced in their life at some point.
Verdict
I found people shared that Nomadland was boring & the other nominated films were much more interesting. Although can be true for some. It is not possible to present a story that could please everyone & this is definitely not a movie for everyone. It is a strikingly poignant, poetic & thoughtful movie that cooks up for a mandatory watch especially if you’ve gone through a lot in your life & on your own. This is a different kind of cinematic masterpiece delivered by the powerful duo of Chloe Zhao & McDormand.
