Read Mixed User Reviews for Nomadland

5

ccmillertxFeb 27, 2021

Should have been a documentary. A very interesting look at 'Nomads' . I like the theme of disillusionment w the American Dream but didn't find it to be very interesting. It did make me grateful and it needed to be made. Just not like this. ItShould have been a documentary. A very interesting look at 'Nomads' . I like the theme of disillusionment w the American Dream but didn't find it to be very interesting. It did make me grateful and it needed to be made. Just not like this. It plods along, very repetitive and uncaptivating.… Expand

5 of 5 users found this helpful50

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6

M_I_K_E_Feb 21, 2021

If you think Nomadland is a great movie you fit into one of two categories:

1. You’re either easily emotionally manipulated (i.e., you cry during hallmark movies), or 2. While you know New York (or fill in the blank here with your city> doesIf you think Nomadland is a great movie you fit into one of two categories:

1. You’re either easily emotionally manipulated (i.e., you cry during hallmark movies), or
2. While you know New York (or fill in the blank here with your city> does not comprise the entirety of humanity, you need a reminder every once in a while that there’s a whole world out there with different people and (what? really?) nature (gasp!).

Emotional manipulation is easy - sprinkle in great cinematography, an excellent score, (you can probably stop there for most of us), but also throw in poetry, sprinkle in a few poignant stories from real people with close-ups of the always stoic Frances McDormand reacting to those real stories – shake, and voila! The producers and director of this movie-mentory, or docu-movie, or whatever, went to great lengths to make sure we knew most of the actors in this movie are not actors at all, but real people to get the greatest impact from their mostly sad vignettes. I’m glad they decided to not bite off anything controversial – glossing over the long shifts of an Amazon worker, and only very briefly showing the hard labor of a beet harvester (insert clip of Francis struggling to lift a bag of beets here) – but in a film of this type, where most of the heavy lifting is done by real actors, doesn’t there either need to be some story arc or at least a small lesson? What they did beautifully is present the juxtapositioning of relationships and nature. Linda or Patty (sorry, they kind of run together for me now) gives a very heartfelt dialog about going to Alaska again to swim with the sharks (or something) before she dies and I’m thinking – OK, now we're going to get to the meat of this thing. Is she going to leave her friends and the relationships she’s built to die alone in Alaska? But what I realized is - there really wasn’t much in the way of relationships (at least shown in the film) for her to leave. Every time the camera dolly would follow Francis through the camp, we didn’t see much human interaction. Sure, men would sit with pets on their laps, or someone would play the guitar, or people would sit staring into a fire, but nothing very meaningful from a humanity standpoint was going on. I would go to Alaska too! And this is where the film let us down. There’s a sliver of a chance for great art here - a Winesburg, Ohio (Sherwood Anderson) opportunity to show the loneliness of people – a chance to cut the film to help us appreciate the family and friendships we have. I’m not saying that Francis had to end up staying with Dave at the end, but make us feel the emotional toll of that decision. Instead, they decided not to make any statements at all – to, I suppose, let the film “speak for itself”. The problem is it does not.… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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4

AmovieloverMar 10, 2021

Very good acting, and the movie gives an excellent insight into the plight of seniors who use their car/van/rv as their home.

But, it was a slog to get through.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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6

MattBrady99Jan 25, 2021

“We be the **** of the badlands.”

‘Nomadland’ is one of those movies where nothing much happens, but it’s the type of movie you sit back and vibe with it. This is a very attentive movie, where you journey along with this woman (played by“We be the **** of the badlands.”

‘Nomadland’ is one of those movies where nothing much happens, but it’s the type of movie you sit back and vibe with it.

This is a very attentive movie, where you journey along with this woman (played by Frances McDormand) who is fed up with her old life and decides to go off grid by traveling to different places while living in her van. She’s not homeless, just houseless. She is like a leaf that quietly and casually drifts from location to location. She encounters different people in this community, who are played by real nomads. Throughout the whole movie you are never in one place for too long, you just keep moving on.

I’ll give director Chloé Zhao and cinematographer Joshua James Richards major credit for they approach to a story like this. Zhao decision to include real nomads with their actual names in the movie as these characters made the story feel genuine and personal, which helps gives us a solid perspective on what life of a nomad is like but done in a respectful way that doesn’t intrude their lives. The cinematography from Joshua James Richards looks beautiful and does a great job showing off the Western landscape. Some locations can look so cold, and yet, other locations look so tranquil in the sunlight.

This movie is worth checking out just for Frances McDormand performance alone, as she is terrific in this movie. She plays Fern, an adventurous woman who is a child at heart, despite dealing with some personal issues from the inside that we are informed about briefly.

Also, I thought the real nomads were surprisingly good. I’m not sure if all the scenes with them are scripted or not, but either way I thought they were great.

While there’s a lot of things that I enjoyed and appreciated about this movie, but unfortunately it didn’t 100% connect with me on a emotional level. At first, I liked the whole open road freedom to the movie, because since the main character is never in one place, you too become a wanderer, but I also feel it misses the opportunity of a powerful character study, especially with a character like Fern when it’s clear that there’s more underneath the surface with her.

I found the pacing of the movie to be an issue for me, because with a two-hour runtime I would sometimes find myself losing interest in the characters and what was happening on screen, as the movie didn’t further develop or do anything with the content and ideas it presents.

While the music was appropriately used for certain scenes, but most of the time it felt really distracting and took me out of the scenes.

Overall rating: Again, there’s a lot of things that I appreciated about the movie and am interested in what Chloé Zhao has up her sleeves for Marvel’s ‘Eternals’, which I hope gives her the freedom to make whatever she wants in the late future, with the extra cash and name recognition.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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6

dhaabFeb 22, 2021

Like others have said here, the movie is beautiful and well made, but the characters are not very well developed and many scenes left this viewer wanting more.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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4

Stream2BigScreeMar 7, 2021

Well, Streamers, have you heard about this movie called Nomadland? It recently won Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director at the Golden Globes, and now, it is presumably the frontrunner for the top prize at this year's Academy Awards. I heardWell, Streamers, have you heard about this movie called Nomadland? It recently won Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director at the Golden Globes, and now, it is presumably the frontrunner for the top prize at this year's Academy Awards. I heard the buzz - good things - about Nomadland, and realizing that it is now available on Hulu, I decide to see what all the hype is about. By the title of this review, I have given away my opinion, but read below for more.

Nomadland's synopsis goes something like this: After the devastation of a small Nevada town by the collapse of the local factory, a lady in her sixties, Fern (Frances McDormand) embarks on an unsettled life living as a modern-day nomad. She moves from place to place in her van, taking seasonal jobs and making her way alone. Nomadland is directed by Chloe Zhao from her script based on a non-fiction book of the same name about the nomad lifestyle. The film features real-life nomads telling fictionalized accounts of their lives as well as breathtaking photography of the American West. Fern is just as devastated as the town was from its economic collapse we learn. It is all set up to be a potentially deeply emotional film about grief, self-discovery and loneliness.

Generally, I don't mind character studies, and this nomad lifestyle is intriguing. Why would one decide to live this way? What brought them to where they are? Those questions are explored in Fern's story. Frances McDormand is a good actress and so she's fully embodies this character. However, since the film is also populated with non-actors, who are real-life nomads, it is obvious that there is a naturalistic quality to their presence in the movie. I think it undercuts the fictional narrative. In fact, I'd rather have a documentary about those people and learn the how's and why's of how they came to be nomads. As it is, I was very bored following Fern's story. I checked at least 5 times how long I had to go in this movie. I will say though that the cinematography and the brilliant colors and landscapes of the American West are beautiful, but that is not enough to sustain and almost 2 hour movie.

If you have 2 hours to devote to watching a woman travel across the country doing odd jobs and not much else, then Nomadland may be the movie for you. There is potentially an interesting and emotional story here, but as it is, this movie is not what it could be. I'll wait for the documentary about nomads. For this, you only need on popped kernel of popcorn.… Expand

7 of 8 users found this helpful71

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4

mohammadhoseinjFeb 26, 2021

It has some good minutes. But sadly, most of the time, It's boring and, for sure, overrated.

5 of 6 users found this helpful51

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5

jgzegerApr 6, 2021

A highly overrated film. Watching paint dry is more exciting than watching this movie.

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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4

UncleWillardFeb 19, 2021

The movie continuously contradicts itself. It can't tell if it's a tragic look at people who have fallen out of society, or a spiritual awakening for people duped by the American dream. The characters talk about what a tight-knit communityThe movie continuously contradicts itself. It can't tell if it's a tragic look at people who have fallen out of society, or a spiritual awakening for people duped by the American dream. The characters talk about what a tight-knit community they are, full of independent people, but they also complain they are victims. If the script had chosen one of those themes I think it would have worked better. It just thinks it's more poignant than it is. Oscar bait.… Expand

5 of 10 users found this helpful55

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5

shoulderoforionFeb 18, 2021

Meh, mostly boring slice of life flick, about those who've lost homes, or those who never had them to begin with.

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

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6

SeekerofStoryMar 24, 2021

Despite the generally good cinematography and good performance by Frances Mcdormand this movie is an empty shell. It features an almost entirely unlikeable character who never grows substantially sprinkled amongst seemingly random shots ofDespite the generally good cinematography and good performance by Frances Mcdormand this movie is an empty shell. It features an almost entirely unlikeable character who never grows substantially sprinkled amongst seemingly random shots of environments. This movie fails on all counts to provide an interesting journey for its character to go through, or for the audience to watch. At every opportunity for something interesting to happen, the story says no. For some reason the filmmaker seems to forget that the primary purpose of cinema is entertainment. Most of the characters, when they do pop up are very bland and mostly forgettable. This movie is only saved by its beautiful shots of landscapes and Frances Mcdormand's portrayal of one of the least interesting characters in the history of cinema. Overall, It is a movie that you can forget exists. I've certainly forgotten most of the movie and I just watched it yesterday. 6/10, and thats me being overly generous.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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6

everettFeb 21, 2021

Underwritten. And what a shame, given the talents of the actors, not only the always-brilliant Frances McDormand but those who aren't professional actors.
How powerful this film would've been if the screenwriter had mined these roles andUnderwritten. And what a shame, given the talents of the actors, not only the always-brilliant Frances McDormand but those who aren't professional actors.
How powerful this film would've been if the screenwriter had mined these roles and given them the scenes they deserved! And such opportunities for depth: The relationship with the David Strathairn character, Dave, and Fern's sister, who supplies some exposition about Fern's backstory but allows so little understanding of who are they are in themselves, and to each other. "Spare" is what I'd call this kind of writing, and sometimes less is more, but not here. After spending two hours with Fern, I know her life (in minute detail), but I don't know HER. Another underdevelopment: The reasons why these people live with such hardship. There's a systemic reason, and it has everything to do with the Amazon element that figures so prominently as a setting, while missing the opportunity to contrast its workers' lives with those who profit from them. I didn't read the book, but I suspect it would've been a great source for the theme of the chasm between rich and poor that is the nation's growing disgrace. With some flesh on the bones of its script, this movie could have been a true classic. Again: What a shame.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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4

JS21Feb 3, 2021

Nomadland has a stunning cinematography, minimalistic directing and great lead actress performance, but it really suffers to deliver the social message with such an apolitical discussion and a painful pacing. The movie brings so manyNomadland has a stunning cinematography, minimalistic directing and great lead actress performance, but it really suffers to deliver the social message with such an apolitical discussion and a painful pacing. The movie brings so many importants them but it doesn't take care to discuss them, forgettable and bland at most.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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6

CorvinFeb 19, 2021

Nomadland the movie is not Nomadland the book. Every body-breaking horror of capitalism is slowed down and fuzzed away. As any factory or warehouse worker who watches the Amazon scenes knows. As anyone who read the book or worked a beetfieldNomadland the movie is not Nomadland the book. Every body-breaking horror of capitalism is slowed down and fuzzed away. As any factory or warehouse worker who watches the Amazon scenes knows. As anyone who read the book or worked a beetfield harvest knows. The closest thing to the book was the camp host scenes. Hard to gloss over cleaning portapotties, maybe. Not a terrible movie. The book is better. The book is the closest to the real thing you'll get unless you're already living there. And at least the book doesn't blame the victims. The movie has some victim blaming.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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4

NickTheCritickApr 24, 2022

I didn't like the film for its time management, formal control, script (banal and full of respectability), sound and much more. Film with a classic social message that is fashionable today, but with much less to say than you may think.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

DukeJonJan 22, 2022

slow burn character study which I was amazed to learn has won about a million awards. Understated performance by Frances McDormand, though I found her character to be so self absorbed and unlikeable that I struggled to care what happened toslow burn character study which I was amazed to learn has won about a million awards. Understated performance by Frances McDormand, though I found her character to be so self absorbed and unlikeable that I struggled to care what happened to her. To be honest the "plot" is so thin you could go for a two hour walk in the middle of the movie and not miss anything. Would have been better as a documentary.… Expand