Frances McDormand plays Fern, a woman without a town after the recession took away all of the areas jobs and resources. She is forced to live in her van, taking seasonal employment at an Amazon warehouse and use that to live through the year. After a friend invites her to attend a Nomad group, Fern learns about the Nomad way of living, and how she can become self sufficient and learn to care a love again, in this incredibly moving film that I had a great time watching.
The soul of this film is so tangible and real, that comes from director Chloé Zhao’s incredible sense of tone and pacing of this story. In the wrong hands, ‘Nomadland’ could be a slow meandering mess. The story itself isn’t going to any particular place, there isn’t a main villain, or any villain really. The film is a series of moments and experiences that are done so incredibly well that you can feel the films heartbeat the more you watch.
Frances McDormand is incredible. Her nuanced and raw performance is going to win her awards and deservedly so. The supporting cast are all equally impactful and brilliant. The movie can go from fiction to almost a documentary of what life is like for many Americans with economic turmoil and struggle with grief, depression, and loss. The music is meditative and seductively euphoric, and I found myself listening to it well after the film had ended.
Overall, ‘Nomadland’ is a film that needs to be seen and experienced by everyone today. Especially during these times where connecting with your fellow human is harder than ever, this is comfort food for your soul.