Nomadland
2020
****
Director: Chloé Zhao
Cast: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Swankie, Bob Wells, Peter Spears
After losing her husband, job, and home, Fern takes her life on the road. She discovers a community of fellow modern days nomads, who live in their camper vans and take seasonal jobs to support themselves. Chloé Zhao's observational drama doesn't offer big and phony twists. It is a subtle but warm and fascinating depiction of a community who rarely get screen time. The central question is whether Fern is a prisoner of her economic circumstances or the master of her own destiny? Frances McDormand picked up her third Oscar for her understated lead performance, and many real-life nomads play themselves. Further Academy Awards for best picture and director. Based on Jessica Bruder's non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century.
