Nomadland (Chloé Zhao, February 19,2021) Movie • Page 4

Damn the hype was real with this one

 

Simsy going all in on Chloe this week:

'Nomadland' Is a Gorgeous Journey Through the Wreckage of American Promise

Chloé Zhao Is About to Be Huge

 

in a lonely place where I thought this wasn't very good. Weirdly paced in the first half, it sets up scenes that have interesting ideological things going on but then cuts away from them really quickly and I don't understand that. There's a scene where a character says "I see something beautiful" or something and the camera pans to this gorgeous vista and then cuts away the second you have the full vista in frame. Stuff like that happens multiple times and I don't get it, it must be intentional but it feels jarring.

Obviously the film looks stunning, and the soundtrack is just as lush. McDormand and Strathairn are two of the greats. But it felt more surface level than the works of directors who similarly engage in nature, reflection, and humanity, like Malick and Reichardt. Amazon and capitalism are present as negative forces but are paid lip service to and mostly ignored, the subtext didn't feel strong enough to uphold the ideals. The scope of the film felt too narrowed in Fern's grief as a motivator for everything that happens, when there's a whole lot to explore and linger in that gets passed over.

Not bad. But I was disappointed for as great as the talent involved is.

 

The Amazon parts are definitely underdeveloped. If you tried to say what needs to be said, it is very doubtful they would let anyone film in there.

 

yeah the Amazon stuff was weird, though I'm not sure it's necessarily saying it's good but just stating the fact that they're one of the few places that will hire people in their 60s and 70s temporarily even though it's obviously exploitative and messed up that people still have to work even when they're retired

 

This discusses the Amazon bit a little bit:

Some of that second paragraph I pulled sounds like it skews too far towards excusing the scale of Amazon’s active participation in capitalist exploitation. But, I think some of this is also valid & makes sense.

 

I think I liked the movie more than Richard Brody, but he's always worth reading and hits at some stuff that I felt as well.

“Nomadland,” Reviewed: Chloé Zhao’s Nostalgic Portrait of Itinerant America

 

I did not butt up against Fern’s character/McDormand’s presence like that at all. I’ll keep that take in mind when I get around to rewatching it & see what I notice then, but in the midst of watching it, I found it very non disaster tourism-y in a way that was super refreshing.

As great as McDormand is, I would love if Zhao’s next small film went the all first time actors route again like The Rider, especially now that she’s also got her foot into franchise stuff like Marvel. But again, personally, wasn’t taken out of the film by that.

 

“next small film” like we’re getting another one of those

 

I wouldn’t say her presence is an inherent negative, more that when the only characters with agency are movie stars in a film surrounded by real people who actually live in those conditions, that’s more problematic. And that her character is able to choose to go back on the road when the reality for many in those circumstances is a lack of choice, that’s where I have more of a disconnect, and feel like the film didn’t adequately meet all the aspects it brought up, either explicitly or in subtext/the cinema itself.

 

I am really interested in how the non professional people were paid especially because I imagine that's their real trauma

 

i would say swankie displayed a fair amount of agency, to me. that woman was not a movie star.

 

found this the other day. bob from the film reviewing the book three years ago

 

I think she touched on that in the profile you posted on the other page? Or maybe it was a different one I read.

 

I'll look thanks

 

I literally just finished watching this, and I feel they went for a film much more focused on Vern's journey and arc, versus speaking more to the issues of capitalism or the gig economy. I want to read that Vulture article though, which I'll try doing tomorrow. But dang, a lot to unpack overall with this.

 

now do the same thing at the academy awards

 

she was the oscars favorite before this win. she very likely had it in the bag before tonight and it’s all but hers now.

 

I watched her film "The Rider" tonight and liked that even more than Nomadland

 

it’s the better film

 

one more!

 

I’m just happy it was this and not The Trial of Chicago 7