Nomadland

Right about now-ish every year, I begin to seek out the Award contenders in local, indie theaters around Denver. I rather enjoy this time because it's an opportunity for me to challenge the critic "norms" of what the best films of the year are and compare them to my opinions. 

Put simpler, it's the time of the year where I get to call films on their BS. If you'd asked me when I first started this site almost 10 years ago, I would have surmised that most (i.e. > 75% let's say) of the critical darlings are films I'd find boring or pointless. 

To my own [very pleasant] surprise, I've really enjoyed most indie films and Oscar contenders over the years. Sure, some I still find vastly overrated, but others are some of my favorite films I've seen throughout this experience. 

Obviously, this year is different than most and I'm not confident I'll be able to see all the films I want to before award season comes out. Nomadland, is one of those movies. I can't quite put a finger on it other than perhaps my own intuition, but I've been trying to seek it out. 

Nomadland represents one of those movies that is certainly "artsy", but it in no way was a disappointment. To be clear, this is one of the best films of 2020 - had there been a tsunami of release date moves or not. In fact, I found aspects of the film to be exacerbated (in a good way) by the themes of loneliness and mortality that have touched each of us as some point throughout this hell year. 

Normally, I find films that don't really "go anywhere" and seem aimless to be the ones I tend to call out for being boring. Nomadland doesn't honestly accomplish much in the sense of plot developments over the course of its short-ish runtime. And there's not really a distinct end to the film either. But, perhaps because of the lessons we've learned this year, I was more focused on the journey of these characters than the actual happenings. And, even as I sit with the film for a couple hours afterward, I think there was a distinct ending, but perhaps one you must figure out on your own. 

Not even a billboard in sight, these are wide open vistas

Characters in the film seem so real and raw - an adjective that seems to apply to the film as a whole - that it at times feels like a documentary. They're not played up for grandiose monologues or given those types of character flaws that you'd "only see in the movies"...they're just normal, somewhat boring people, moving through life like fall leaves caught in the wind. This applies to McDormand, whos Fern is a unique and interesting creature, as she interacts with real nomads who don't feel stilted in their acting like you'd expect, but instead feel as if the camera was never there to begin with. This study of a particular group of Americans - that live in their vans, take odd jobs, enjoy it, and have all of their possessions with them on the great vistas of the West, is one that feels as if it comes from a different period. A time before the one on which I watch a streaming version of this on my expensive laptop in a comfy bed that was shipped to my front door. It's a world much different than my own.  

2020 tends to have a different effect on many films, and Nomadland is no exception. In between Fern's interactions with other nomadic persons, there are moments of extended, poignant loneliness. Almost post-apocalyptic. McDormand conveys this emotion in the most subtle, yet powerful of ways and the parallels between 2020 and the old age of many of the people she comes across, their mortality, and the emptiness that follows is likely not to be lost on many viewers. Perhaps in this landscape after a year that has tested us so much, films will carry a deeper, unforeseen meaning for quite some time...

These moments of harsh aloneness (and the entire film, to be honest) are complimented with an incredible original score that becomes a character of its own. It's here where we get more tangible emotion that comes with driving along a range of clouded mountains on a deserted highway or entering a long-forgotten town and walking down the street. Or even sitting in a half-full bar, alone with your thoughts and drink. Often accompanied by stunning cinematography of our beautiful country, with wide shots of barren western vistas or sloping terrain in the distance. The core film (e.g. script, characters, performances, etc.) are obviously great and - say it with me - made incredible with thoughtful style, camera work, and music. 

Stunning cinematography of the diverse and wild West

I truly wish I could have seen Nomadland in theaters for the first time, instead of my computer screen. Even still, I can tell it's one of those films that will stick with me long after its credits have rolled. As both a study of a group of people that I had no idea existed and the "character" of loneliness itself, the film is a master craft in storytelling, even if not all that much happens from beginning to end. Call it the 2020-effect, but I believe I appreciated this one much more than I would have sans a worldwide pandemic. 

CONS

• From start to end, not a whole lot happens. I imagine this will annoy some (and likely would have me previously)

PROS

• Feels uniquely real and raw in a people of America that has rarely been explored
• Authentic performances all around - some from real nomads - with another iconic turn from McDormand
• Zhao's direction, writing, editing and producing (yes, she did all 4!) make her an immediate talent to keep an eye out for
• A simple, but poignant look at loneliness, mortality, and those we meet along the way and "see down the road". 2020's special dose of reality has only made the film's themes stand bolder
• Exquisite original score that compliments the imagery of which its connected to
• Stunning, and sometimes haunting, cinematography
• Something about this film will still with me for a long time. Much like my reason for wanting to see it; I can't quite put a finger on it, but its there

Rath's Review Score | 9.5/10