Review of Nomadland (2021) by Iceman21 — 24 Feb 2021

An atmospheric indie film to which Chloé Zhao has lent a great deal of down-to-earthness, humanity and poetics with her sensitivity in the director's chair and which is considered a hot contender for this year's Oscar race. Nomadland is a character study of the suddenly "houseless" Fern, who tries to adapt to her new life as a nomad as best she can after the death of her husband. On the almost documentary-like followed journey in her van, Fern meets people with different personalities who help her in her new world. The centre of the film throughout the entire running time is clearly protagonist Fern, played by two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand. She undergoes all kinds of setbacks and always carries around an inner conflict. She could do better, but wants to take the challenge on herself with all her might. McDormand embodies the basic mood of the film and tells the story of many: she is a victim of the glaring class differences and capitalist overweight in the USA. In the process, she works her fingers to the bone, is constantly on the lookout for new jobs and means well for people. She illustrates what the new situation triggers in her character and how she keeps her head above water. Fern goes hand in hand with the mood of the film: she is unobtrusive, subtle and has a lot of depth. This role is arguably the most important in McDormand's glorious career so far because she represents a group of people who are not seen. The actress lived in a van on a campsite for a few months before the start of filming herself and got acquainted with this kind of life. David Strathairn, as Fern's good friend Dave, is also very important to the protagonist's journey. He makes her conflicted by his obvious intentions and lets us experience the interpersonal component first hand. This comes across in almost every scene in the film, despite the clear main character. The other characters are real-life people, which brings an enormous amount of closeness and authenticity to the film.

McDormand carries the plot of the film brilliantly on her shoulders, but the real heroine of Nomadland is its director. You can tell from start to finish that Chloé Zhao cares deeply about this subject matter. She has turned a low-budget independent film into a technical masterpiece against which every action film with elaborate special effects falls short. The cinematography captures lengthy and beautiful shots of the landscape, making the film's actually dreary setting seem colourful and idyllic. The music by Ludovico Einaudi is softly and empathetically composed, making Fern's rides in the van meaningful. Zhao has put together a film that takes its time, but where all the cinematic elements become one big whole. As a result, Nomadland does not create seas of tears despite the sadness of its subject, but a cinematic masterpiece whose basic idea is always present and sticks with one.