NOMADLAND – Rated R – 1 hr. 47 mins.

THIS REVIEW is brought to you by KATHY KAISER @matineechat.com

NOMADLAND – RATED R – 1 HR. 47 MINS.

DIRECTOR:  Chloe’ Zhao

WRITERS:  Based on the book by Jessica Bruder, Written for the screen by Chloe’ Zhao

STARRING:  Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Patricia Grier, Carl R. Hughes, Douglas G Soul, Teresa Buchanan

Based on the Novel, and real-life nomadic travels of Journalist & Author Jessica Bruder, we venture into the life of Fern (Frances McDormand), who is trying to come to terms with the loss of her job, and her husband, after her company is shut down, and the town in which she lives is all but wiped off the map too, following our countries great recession.

Left with few choices to get her through till she reaches retirement age, Fern decides to revamp an old van with all of the essentials she’ll need, as she embarks into a sub-culture life within the midst of our country, becoming one of the thousands of people who journey, while trying to keep themselves afloat.  As Fern ventures throughout the extraordinary Western part of our nation, making many a friend, and a few foes along the way too, she manages to navigate from town to town, working odd jobs when she decides to stop, to support herself.  As she begins to acclimate into the life of a Nomad, she soon finds too that this type of life is becoming very natural for her to embrace, as she begins to find a sense of true inner peace, when she chooses to embrace this new lifestyle, and the incredible beauty that continues to surround her…

Cinematically powerful from start to finish, thanks to the visual prowess of Cinematographer Joshua James Richards, NOMADLAND is one of the few films this year that will embrace you with all of the existential beauty that this country holds, while it takes you on a journey that many throughout our country choose willingly to embark upon.  Nominated for 4 Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, and One Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, NOMADLAND is destined to be bringing some statues home once the Award Season of 2021 begins.  No one, and I mean no one is better suited to play the role of Fern in this film than Frances McDormand.  As you watch her performance, you most certainly agree too, that it is as if this particular role was written specifically for her, even more than her last outstanding performance in 2017’s Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri.  She is so absolutely perfect, playing the woman who isn’t willing to settle for the life that she’s been handed, you will find yourself becoming engrossed in not only her, and her performance, but in every aspect of this beautifully created film.  I found myself becoming totally mesmerized by the beauty of our great land, and of course her performance throughout, but I was also very much blown away from all the individuals who were willing to share their lives, and their stories, as they interacted with Frances, and Director Chloe Zhao, throughout the making of this film.  I mean, if I hadn’t read the background on this film beforehand, I would have never realized that most of the individuals throughout this film – with the exception of McDormand, and Actor David Strathairn – are true Nomads, who live the life portrayed in this film, each and every day. 

Moving and powerful from start to finish, NOMADLAND is definitely one of those films that allows for you to tap into every emotion that you can have, without denying you the escape to never wallow in its periodic sadness for too long, making it that much sweeter in the end to view too. 

Available for viewing in theaters starting 2/19 and streaming on HULU too, NOMADLAND is one of those fabulous films this year, that you just have to experience, no matter how you prefer to view it!