Sometimes it takes an outside viewpoint to give us true perspective. We don't really know ourselves until someone pulls back the veil and shows us our true selves, and often... we don't like what they show us.
It took a gifted filmmaker, who also happens to be a Chinese National to once again show North-Americans a little nugget of our history that we might not know about, but also might not enjoy hearing.
Chloe Zhao, who is set to tackle Marvel's Eternals next year is one of the most subtle and grounded filmmakers of this generation, but she is also an impeccable story teller, and she relies not on large budgets or huge Hollywood names to tell these stories, she relies on authenticity and human connection. The juxtaposition of going from her small, personal stories to the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to be addressed; it's akin to helping with your cousin's taxes for years, and then suddenly being asked to head a Fortune-500 company.
Zhao's Nomadland, based on the novel by Jessica Bruder is the story of a forgotten part of the Boomer generation. There are those in their 50s, 60s and perhaps older who just can't afford to retire. They need to work to survive, and they need to keep moving to work. These Boomers are lost because the little industrial-driven towns they've lived in for years weren't meant for the modern world filled with those aforementioned Fortune 500 companies. Mines shut down, mills shut down, factories shut down, and it ends up killing their town.
The film itself is basically a documentary, which is no surprise to anyone who has seen Zhao's previous work, most notably 'The Rider' in 2017. Zhao finds authenticity in using real people, not actors, and the stories they tell... are their stories. There's very little fiction in these films, which once again lends itself to the realness.
Casting the only two actors in the entire film, the brilliant Francis McDormand as the main character Fern, and the equally brilliant David Strathairn, seems to be Zhao dipping her toes into the enormous sea she's about to dive into with Marvel. The two performances, however, are unlike anything these two actors have done before. They are almost non-existent in this film, and that should be taken with every ounce of positivity. They are not McDormand and Strathairn, they are Fern and Dave, and sadly, these characters are lost members of their generation, but certainly not lost on the audience even if they take a 'backseat' to the message of the film. The actors blend into the roles so beautifully, they seem like you've probably passed them a million times without noticing. McDormand even took embodying Fern to a fantastic level of commitment by working, sometimes for months, in the odd jobs that Fern has to work throughout her journey. There is nothing but legitimacy to every action McDormand performs, and every choice Fern makes. You believe everything.
This is such a brilliant way to use these actors, because, ultimately... it is not their story. It's so rare you have a film where the characters are both 'moot' and yet compelling. This speaks to Zhao's ability to tell a story using all the tools at her disposal, and sometimes that means your character or your Academy-Award winning actors step back and let everything else in the film do the talking. Using the real 'Nomads' in the film, rather than actors, once again just adds that previously mentioned legitimacy. The feel of the film can be a little surreal, as it does feel part fact and part fiction, but it is unlike so many films out there because of it's focus on true experience rather than spectacle or imagination. What is truly surreal is how Zhao can find such a unique balance in everything she creates, it is a deft touch that very few filmmakers have.
The only real downside to the film is that it isn't overly imaginative when it comes to conveying the story. This fits with Zhao's focus on realism, but the cinematography and story beats were all quite safe. There was no flair, which can make the story drag a little. The uncompromising performance of McDormand and the heart of the story is what drives it. It will be extremely interesting to see what Zhao does with Eternals, which will ironically could a very formulaic story that will require much more filmmaking flair.
Nomadland, as mentioned, is unlike so many films out there because of its uncompromising nature. There is nary another filmmaker out there with the type of laser like focus of Chloe Zhao. The story itself may be specifically about one generation, but because of the amazing connection to its characters, and the empathy Zhao and McDormand craft, it will speak to anyone who has felt they were a part of a lost generation. And that... is the largest cinematic universe.
Nomadland is scheduled to have a wider (yet probably limited) release December 4 2020.
Grade: (B)
It took a gifted filmmaker, who also happens to be a Chinese National to once again show North-Americans a little nugget of our history that we might not know about, but also might not enjoy hearing.
Chloe Zhao, who is set to tackle Marvel's Eternals next year is one of the most subtle and grounded filmmakers of this generation, but she is also an impeccable story teller, and she relies not on large budgets or huge Hollywood names to tell these stories, she relies on authenticity and human connection. The juxtaposition of going from her small, personal stories to the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to be addressed; it's akin to helping with your cousin's taxes for years, and then suddenly being asked to head a Fortune-500 company.
Zhao's Nomadland, based on the novel by Jessica Bruder is the story of a forgotten part of the Boomer generation. There are those in their 50s, 60s and perhaps older who just can't afford to retire. They need to work to survive, and they need to keep moving to work. These Boomers are lost because the little industrial-driven towns they've lived in for years weren't meant for the modern world filled with those aforementioned Fortune 500 companies. Mines shut down, mills shut down, factories shut down, and it ends up killing their town.
The film itself is basically a documentary, which is no surprise to anyone who has seen Zhao's previous work, most notably 'The Rider' in 2017. Zhao finds authenticity in using real people, not actors, and the stories they tell... are their stories. There's very little fiction in these films, which once again lends itself to the realness.
Casting the only two actors in the entire film, the brilliant Francis McDormand as the main character Fern, and the equally brilliant David Strathairn, seems to be Zhao dipping her toes into the enormous sea she's about to dive into with Marvel. The two performances, however, are unlike anything these two actors have done before. They are almost non-existent in this film, and that should be taken with every ounce of positivity. They are not McDormand and Strathairn, they are Fern and Dave, and sadly, these characters are lost members of their generation, but certainly not lost on the audience even if they take a 'backseat' to the message of the film. The actors blend into the roles so beautifully, they seem like you've probably passed them a million times without noticing. McDormand even took embodying Fern to a fantastic level of commitment by working, sometimes for months, in the odd jobs that Fern has to work throughout her journey. There is nothing but legitimacy to every action McDormand performs, and every choice Fern makes. You believe everything.
This is such a brilliant way to use these actors, because, ultimately... it is not their story. It's so rare you have a film where the characters are both 'moot' and yet compelling. This speaks to Zhao's ability to tell a story using all the tools at her disposal, and sometimes that means your character or your Academy-Award winning actors step back and let everything else in the film do the talking. Using the real 'Nomads' in the film, rather than actors, once again just adds that previously mentioned legitimacy. The feel of the film can be a little surreal, as it does feel part fact and part fiction, but it is unlike so many films out there because of it's focus on true experience rather than spectacle or imagination. What is truly surreal is how Zhao can find such a unique balance in everything she creates, it is a deft touch that very few filmmakers have.
The only real downside to the film is that it isn't overly imaginative when it comes to conveying the story. This fits with Zhao's focus on realism, but the cinematography and story beats were all quite safe. There was no flair, which can make the story drag a little. The uncompromising performance of McDormand and the heart of the story is what drives it. It will be extremely interesting to see what Zhao does with Eternals, which will ironically could a very formulaic story that will require much more filmmaking flair.
Nomadland, as mentioned, is unlike so many films out there because of its uncompromising nature. There is nary another filmmaker out there with the type of laser like focus of Chloe Zhao. The story itself may be specifically about one generation, but because of the amazing connection to its characters, and the empathy Zhao and McDormand craft, it will speak to anyone who has felt they were a part of a lost generation. And that... is the largest cinematic universe.
Nomadland is scheduled to have a wider (yet probably limited) release December 4 2020.
Grade: (B)