Nomadland is a drama based on a memoir of the same name that follows Fern(Frances McDormand) as she travels around the western part of the US in her van, in which she lives. She gets various temporary jobs and meets and befriends various people.
McDormand gives a wonderful performance, as she almost always invariably does, but this isn't really anything we haven't seen from her before and there's an element of dressing-down that doesn't quite sit right. This rich celebrity shitting in a bucket, wow, how brave kind of a thing, this unreality is brought into further contrast by the non-professional actors/real life nomads the film is populated with. The 'real people' are all great characters but they are relegated to stilted monologues and are seen almost exclusively in relation to McDormand's Fern and her journey so aren't given enough time or space to show the dimension they so clearly have. The other 'big name' is David Strathairn who, also, does well but having these two stars in this cast in this story comes across as bizarre not authentic.
Beautifully shot on location, with an effective if at times telegraphing score, the production is solid but the major issue is the script. What is this story about? What is the intent? Not only are those broad questions unclear Fern's situation and backstory is woefully opaque until close to the end of the film. It presents itself- taking place in the recession, Fern being a migrant worker- as if it were about economics but it becomes more and more apparent money isn't really a concern here and ultimately Fern isn't forced into her life style she's chosen it. Ultimately it's a story about a the nomad lifestyle and grief but that's not clear, nor is the timeline, nor is it particularly effective in stating or exploring those designated themes. As a mix of fiction and documentary it fails, the fiction is too scattered and the documentary is underdeveloped.
An excellent, if predictable, performance from McDormand doesn't elevate this muddled, bleak tale that like it's main character seems to wander aimlessly learning almost nothing.
Currently streaming on Hulu.
Stream It.
No comments:
Post a Comment