A woman embarks on a journey through the
American West after losing everything during the recession.
Director: Chloé Zhao
Cast: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn,
Linda May, Swankie, Bob Wells
Release Date:
Genre: Drama
Rated R for some full nudity.
Runtime: 1 h 48 min
Review:
Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland is a dreamlike
portrait of grief and self realization.
Her film is methodically paced travelogue through the country through
the eyes of a forgotten population. At
the center of the entire film is Frances McDormand who delivers an understated
multilayered performance that anchors the film.
McDormand’s ability to channel an authentic everywoman is on par with
Tom Hanks. It’s a talent that fits this
role perfectly and she delivers one of the most authentic and grounded
performances of her career. She emotes
an immense amount of emotional information with gestures or looks with the
script keeping dialogue at a minimum.
The supporting cast is a mixture of non actors and familiar character
actors like David Strathairn. Strathairn
is equally understated as the love interest in the thickest story thread in the
film. McDormand’s work with non actors
Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells feels improvised giving portions of the film
an almost documentary feel. The story
introspective journey is deeply personal but universal at the same time which
gives the film its emotional impact.
A
