Review of Nomadland (2021) by Lisalr1 — 20 Feb 2021

Frances McDormand is Endearing as a Wandering Nomad Displaced by the American Recession: "Nomadland," directed by Chloé Zhao ("The Rider"), written by Zhao, based on the book by Jessica Bruder, follows the story of Fern, played by the once again brilliant, 2-time Oscar-winner, Frances McDormand, a woman forced to become a Nomad after the losses of her job in 2011 at a shut down factory in Nevada, her home, death of her husband and the town she lived in wiped off the map, all painful misfortunes, the results of the American Recession.

Fern buys a van, which she customizes as her new home, and wanders the West in a constant search for work, including taking a seasonal job with other Nomads boxing packages at a large Amazon distribution center.

The beauty in Chloé Zhao's direction is her ability to play on realism by mixing actors in the film with non-actors who manage to give equally gritty performances. Joshua James Richards, Zhao's Cinematographer, is truly an artist, capturing the breathtaking landscape of the American West, using his camera to paint an alluring palette of the stark Arizona desert, ominous mountains, long, winding, cold and lonely roads, powerful Pacific coastline, the Redwood Forest and glorious sunrises and sunsets.