Nomadland is a once in a lifetime film you have to see before you die.
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Chloé Zhao and Frances McDormand takes us on a heartwarming/breaking journey of a nomad’s life, with Zhao adopting multiple roles (director, producer, screenwriter and editor!) in this intimate film based on the non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder.
Nomadland follows Fern (McDormand) as she leaves a place she once called home after the sheetrock plant she worked at shuts down and the zip code is discontinued. She enrolls in an Amazon CamperForce program designed to tap RV-based retirees for work. But that doesn’t work out for too long as Fern soon finds herself on the move again and on the road to fully embodying her nomadic ways.
If the intimacy of the film’s subject doesn’t captivate you then the visuals and accompanying score definitely will. Zhao’s mastery at delivering a cinematic wonder without all the pomp and circumstance cements her place as a filmmaker to watch for sure. McDormand was spot on when she chose the The Rider director to helm this film.
Speaking of which, the Oscar winning actress herself also delivered on her end. Her embodiment of her character truly shows through her stellar performance as Fern, blending in naturally with her fellow non-actors (with the exception of David Strathairn who delivered a solid supporting performance).
There’s a line in the film that really struck me and stuck with me to this day: “I’m not homeless, I’m just houseless.” It really opens one's eyes to the bigger picture in life, teaching us humility and independence. Definitely a once in a lifetime film you have to see before you die.
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