Chloé Zhao's “NOMADLAND”

Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald

NOMADLAND is not what I would call a “feel good“ movie. At the same time it’s not really a “downer“ either, even though the main character, masterfully portrayed by Francis McDormand, is constantly on the move following the collapse of her hometown economy and the death of her husband.

She resists being called “homeless“ even though she has no fixed home and lives in a van she drives from job to job. Given the opportunity to settle down she resists. She has always lived by the beat of a different drum and is both attracted and repelled — now mostly repelled — from fixed traditional homes ties and ownership.

As McDormand portrays her we glimpse the complexity of her character as we watch her deal with the sometimes harsh realities of her chosen nomadic existence.

True, when push comes to shove she does have a safety net to fall back on — she borrows money to fix her van — but that fact does not alter how she deals with others and their frequent attempts to impose their values on her.

It is interesting to watch what is basically a character study acted out and portrayed in such a matter of fact and adult manner.

How realistic is it? I don’t know. Leading such a precarious existence would drive me nuts knowing how fragile life and its instabilities can be. Maybe that’s the point of this film. It does portray how some people can adapt. While they don’t necessarily thrive they do, when all is said and done, survive — at least until they don’t.

For a very different take on one woman’s resilience and fortitude, see Zhangke Jia's "ASH IS PUREST WHITE."

Review copyright (c) 2021 by Dennis D. McDonald