Nomadland (2020)

Review

108min

Genre:       Drama

Director:     Chloé Zhao

Cast:         Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May…and more

Writers:     Chloé Zhao and Jessica Bruder

-Synopsis-

Alone and reeling from the loss of her way of life in the years following the financial crash of 2008, a free-spirited, hard-working middle-aged woman traverses the American Southwest and its heartland in her trusty van looking for work and human connection, meeting colourful characters and a community of fellow 21^st century American nomads-by-circumstance while struggling with the ghosts of her past and carving a place in a brave new world.

There’s little doubt that an outside perspective can often be a valuable (albeit confronting) way to gain insight and paint an honest portrait of oneself, and that goes for culture and country too, with foreign-made films managing to capture the American essence in its many forms over the decades—a tradition to which Chinese filmmaker Chloé Zhao has contributed through her first two indie features ‘Songs My Brothers Taught Me’ and ‘The Rider’. Now the Beijing-born and US-educated director takes her measured cinematic perspectives on the American frontier and heartland to a new level, adapting Jessica Bruder’s 2017 novel to paint a beautiful, wistful, and sombre moving portrait of a woman, capturing the sober 21^st century realities of an “American dream” gone wrong for so many.

Frances McDormand stars as hard-working middle-aged widow ‘Fern’, forced out of her Nevadan mining ghost town by an economic collapse and into her custom old van to travel the deserts and small towns of the Southwest and American heartland looking for odd jobs, meeting similarly aged and like-minded fellow voyagers like ‘Dave’ (David Strathairn) and ‘Swankie’ (Charlene Swankie) and joining a community of modern nomads. But recent loss and the ghosts of a past not-so-easily left behind soon muddy the choice between stable human connection and a path on the road, as fern toils to survive and struggles to truly live with her own identity in an America which steps over those stuck in the deep crevasses of its capitalism and representative democracy.

There are few things in Hollywood more classically American than the good ol’ road movie, and with her third feature Zhao carves out a little piece of the Americana pie for herself with inspiration from everything from ‘Easy Rider’ and ‘Badlands’ to ‘Nebraska’ and ‘Wild’. But there are cinematic echoes from further afield here too, including Walter Salles‘ biographical voyage through the Americas ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’—and indeed the Ernesto Guevara memoirs on which it was based—and while ‘Nomadland’ may be an all-American tale, it’s a story born out of globalisation.

Fuelled by the novel which she herself adapts, Zhao is clearly crafting a social-realist drama to paint a picture of an ageing American community transformed into modern day nomads by a changing world, and more specifically unchecked capitalism, unsustainable debt, and the wall street manipulated not-so-free market forces which have decimated traditional primary American industries over the last couple of decades. And although the film makes no mention of the countries who have supplanted all those jobs, we do get a glimpse of the 21^st century goliaths like Amazon who have swept in to reel in some of the workers left behind, at advantageous circumstances of course, all while transforming the global retail industry . . . although some might say destroying it.

But ‘Nomadland’ is far from just a preachy sermon on the ills of capitalism and modern America, and ultimately its subtle social awareness is just a compelling context for the true strength of the film—its heart as a personally poignant and soulful character piece. And that burden is admirably shouldered by a supporting cast which blends screen veterans like David Strathairn with newcomers and real-life nomads like Linda May and Charlene Swankie, giving both the drama and the world depicted a sense of legitimacy and heightened naturalism.

And yet it falls to the film’s formidable star to carry bulk of the film’s emotional weight on her own experienced shoulders, as Frances McDormand delivers a nuanced and more restrained performance than we’ve recently become accustomed to. Breathing a melancholy life and bundles of heart into a decent and conflicted woman bruised by life and poleaxed by circumstance, but never losing her wandered spirit and the fire within—as the two-time Oscar winner stakes a strong claim for a third leading role statuette . . . albeit in a rather thin year for nominees.

The bow atop this delightful little indie package is the film’s technical prowess and fitting minimalist style, both of which are in concert with its substance. Fluidly edited by Zhao herself—who pulls quadruple filmmaking duty here—‘Nomadland’ is beautifully shot by now regular Chloé Zhao collaborator Joshua James Richards who captures the hazy majesty of America’s deserts, plains, and small towns, often using dusky natural light. Meanwhile a melodic and sparse soundtrack of piano-led Ludovico Einaudi (This Is England, Untouchable) compositions adds plenty of wistful and introspective atmosphere to the drama.

With her third feature Chloé Zhao has refined her distinct cinematic eye for the American experience and undoubtedly crafted her most accomplished piece of work to date. An achievement which has already captured the imagination and distinction of an albeit depleted award season railway this year, making ‘Nomadland’ one of the strongest contenders at April’s delayed Academy Awards ceremony. And like many we now eagerly await her imminent entry into the big leagues when she leads a galactic new generation of Marvel superheroes with the release of ‘The Eternals’ this November.

The Bottom Line…

A wistful and soulful blend of classic road movie and very personal social-realist drama, ‘Nomadland’ has plenty to say about the state of American society and the callousness of capitalism, without beating the audience over the head with it, shinning a sun-lit spotlight on a community of nomads-by-circumstance and delivering a subtle 21^st century working-class odyssey to remember.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Wild (2014)

On a downward spiral due to a tragic event in her life, a young woman takes to the road and hikes 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone, from the Mojave Desert to Washington State along the American West Coast to recover her former self in this true story tale of redemption.

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Thomas Sadoski among others.

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