Humanity in its simplest form is doing what it takes to survive while knowing that there will always be people in your life to back you up and support you. Sometimes that takes the form of a person raising a family in a suburban home and other times, it takes the form of a widowed woman living in a van as a modern-day nomad. Chloé Zhao's Nomadland is a wonderful exploration of the latter and one that exceeds in every aspect of humanistic filmmaking possible. From the performance from Frances McDormand to the stellar direction from Zhao to the inclusion of real-life people in the cast, every element of this movie works together in such a melancholic yet cathartic harmony that will certainly resonate with me for years to come. While this might not be the most consistently exciting or plot-driven story, the cinéma vérité of the film works in astounding ways to really show its audience the core of Americans' humanity.
Upon losing her job at a drywall plant and having her city's zip code discontinued in the area previously known as Empire, Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) decides to sell all of her belongings to buy a van and live in it full-time. Traveling across the southwest, she decides to join a group of other van-dwellers inspired by a man named Bob (Bob Wells) that live as nomads as she tries to get back on her feet and live her newfound life to the fullest. The writing and direction from Zhao are unbelievably amazing and throughout this film's entire runtime, constantly kept me engaged despite the lack of seat-clinging plot. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Jessica Bruder, this real-life story of a woman learning to live a new way throughout a recession is so captivating and Zhao does the most excellent job of showing every side of Fern's humanity. With every new person that Fern meets, she learns a little more about herself and the land that she is occupying, and more than anything, Nomadland paints this portrait of rural America better than most filmmakers have ever done before. As Fern learns more and more about these people and becomes connected to them through her travels, the audience falls more and more in love with them as well, to the point that I felt like I knew them myself. It also helps that all of the characters, except for Fern and Dave (David Strathairn), were played by non-actors and that added such a great touch of realism to the story. Every single one of the non-actors played their parts with such poise and authenticity that it is difficult to believe they were not trained actors. Zhao knows this as well and her direction plays on that all too well. She handles this story with a grace that only a woman knows and the way that she bounces throughout Fern's travels is masterful. The audience never had to know exactly what Fern was up to or her motivations; all they had to know was that she was trying to thrive. Zhao paces this story with ease and also knows exactly when to place her scenes for maximum emotional effect. Every choice made by her throughout this film was just perfect and I adored every ounce of heart that was poured into this production.
While Zhao's direction and adaptation of this story were just impeccable, the performance from McDormand and the technical aspects of the film were just as impressive. McDormand has had one of the most interesting careers in recent films that I can think of and I really admire her for the level of artistry she puts into the roles that she chooses. The role of Fern genuinely seems like it was written for her and McDormand is truly able to embody the simultaneous sadness and aspiration that Fern is feeling. I could really sense Fern's struggles and little joys through every minute facial expression from McDormand and the humanistic ways that she portrays this character is just phenomenal. She almost acts as a sponge throughout all of Nomadland: soaking up the emotions and stories of every stranger that she meets while maintaining her composure and just trying to make it through. Of course, this gorgeous level of storytelling would not be possible without the visual elements of the film and the cinematography from Joshua James Richards and editing from Zhao herself work together beautifully. Richards shoots this movie in such a glorious fashion that I could never take my eyes off the screen. The way that he captures every piece of scenery is astounding and the world-building that he does with just the nature of the land Fern travels to is so magnificent. The perfect blend of handheld and still camerawork is used to really draw in the audience to the southwestern landscapes and being from Arizona myself, I was amazed at how accurately this area was presented. It also helps that I saw Nomadland in IMAX as it was shot on that specific camera because I could not get enough of the wide shots and immaculately stunning compositions. Zhao's editing also helps to hone in on this story and while Fern's story felt so close to home, Zhao also knows when to let the story breathe and just bask in the beautiful wildlife of this world.
Chloé Zhao's Nomadland is one of the greatest American films about humanity ever made and one that I am so genuinely upset that I did not get a chance to see before now. This film would have absolutely been on my Top 20 of last year and even though I didn't get a chance to really experience it until now, it will stay with me for quite some time. This is one of the most American movies I have ever seen, for better and for worse, and I cannot wait to show people this work of art until they are undoubtedly moved to tears. God knows I was.
My Rating: ★★★★½
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