Nomadland

Movie Name: Nomadland
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Chloe Zao
Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Swankie, Tay Strathairn, Bob Wells
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

Editor/Writer/Producer and Director Chloe Zao, has followed her acclaimed "The Rider", with another well received film, this time around an adaptation of the book by Jessica Bruder. The film follows the story of Fern, a woman who following the recession of 2008/2009, finds herself without a job, and even more dramatically, mourning the painful death of her husband. The small town where they both lived is almost a ghost town, following the closure of the plant where they worked. Fern decides to sell most of her things, and live on her van, traveling around and working when needed. She takes a seasonal job with Amazon at one of their fulfillment centers, but following the advice of one of her friends, decides to travel south, towards Arizona, and meet with other Nomads who have created a support group of sorts for individuals going through similar experiences. She takes a few other jobs in between, and connects with a fellow nomad by the name of David, who eventually chooses to go back and live with his son and his family. As Fern navigates these situations, and some additional challenges, including repairs on her van, something that forces her to contact her sister and ask for help, the more she realizes where she wants to be.

One of the most captivating aspects of "Nomadland" is the lack of artifice that it has, the authenticity that it captures, and particularly how alive Fern actually comes across. The score that permeates the film, actually ends up being a distracting factor, particularly when there are characters on screen. The director has managed to capture not just the nomad aspect of these people's lives, but more importantly, the sometimes unbearable weight of life they all carry with them, which continuously instigates them to drive around, live without a sense of roots. In a way, standing still for these characters is a way for this overload of pain to catch up with them. Fern, perfectly brought to life by the always fantastic Frances McDormand, is a woman dealing with her own challenges, just making her way through life, carrying the weight of some of her past decisions, and also the pain of her losses. As she comes across different people, we learn a bit about some of these individuals and more about Fern's resilience and path in life. It's a film made of this progressive exploration of what this character is all about, of understanding how people who at times live in the fringes of society, shouldn't be ignored for that. This sense of a journal in the life of Fern, is beautifully rendered, thanks to Frances McDormand's performance, with the great support of the always phenomenal David Strathairn, but also through the lens of Joshua James Richards. A wonderful film worth watching.