Nomadland perfectly incapsulates every reason to have faith in humanity. A film that showcases kind, honest people living simple lives in a time where we really need it. There is a clear reason this film took home best picture at the #oscars last week and I cannot stress that enough. The film follows Fern (Frances McDormand) on her travels as a nomad- a person who lives in an RV, car, or other homely vehicle. Along the way we are introduced to a plethora or interesting people with different stories as to why they are a nomad. We also come to understand the reasons why Fern is a nomad, and the steps along the way that led her to take up the lifestyle that she leads. This is one of the things that makes the film so interesting; to me it seemed that we learned more than Fern did throughout the course of the film. Fern starts out a Nomad, and although she experiences new people and places, none of them dramatically change her as a person. Whereas we are introduced to the world of these people, how they get by and everything in between. It’s almost as if we are one of these people she has encountered, and we are learning about her as the film progresses.
For me, the film took a little while to get going, but once it did it didn’t stop. This was partly down to McDormand’s phenomenal acting but another thing that I loved was how peaceful and tranquil the film was. The score felt soft and never was too loud or overwhelming and the cinematography felt really calming. This is mainly due to the scenic naturistic landscapes and the beautiful colouring of the film. Another thing that I absolutely loved was the final ten minutes. I won’t spoil it, but Bob Wells was fantastic during one of the final scenes and he moved me so much. He and McDormand delivered such an emotionally strong performance that ended off the film perfectly. Overall, Nomadland is a peaceful and beautiful film that perfectly and subtly shows all the right reasons why humanity isn’t all bad- particularly in a time where it could feel that way.
