Nomadland - 6 nominations

 

Best Motion Picture of the Year Frances McDormand (producer)  Peter Spears (producer)  Mollye Asher (producer)  Dan Janvey (producer)  Chloé Zhao (producer)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Frances McDormand

Best Achievement in Directing - Chloé Zhao

Best Adapted Screenplay - Chloé Zhao (written for the screen by)

Best Achievement in Film Editing - Chloé Zhao

Best Achievement in Cinematography - Joshua James Richards

Sure, the film begins by setting the premise that a town shut down due to the Great Recession and gives the impression that Fern (Frances McDormand) is living in her van because of that.  Then we learn that her husband died and we start to think that grief sent her into a nomadic lifestyle - one that has her working seasonal gig jobs to earn enough money to live on, but nothing lucrative enough to support setting down roots and living in a permanent home or apartment.

Then the movie quietly unfolds as we see communities of people who live this way - as nomads - with intention.  The freedom, the open space, the room to breathe, the friends made along the way, these are what drive these people to drive.  There isn't a lot of dialogue which is just the playground for Frances McDormand to take her gorgeously weathered face and tell us everything we need to know.  We breathe as she breathes.  It is well known by now that many of the people featured in this film are authentic nomads.  Chloe Zhao is not the first to use real people in a film, but McDormand is one of the few great actors who looks and feels at home among them - she doesn't outshine them with her performance and the brilliance of it is that she adjusts to them, becoming one of them in a way that only an actor of her caliber can do.

I must make mention of the cinematography, the exquisite character brought to life in this film.  I'm not such a nature lover - I appreciate its beauty and then I go back to my hotel.  This film takes nature and elevates it to become a partner in the nomad's life.  The reason for the life and not the decoration of it.  My only disappointment with this film is that it was not nominated for Original Score, which perfectly adorns the backdrop of the story.

Nomadland is not only a best picture nominee, it's a best picture.  If you can only see three of the nominees this year, make Nomadland one of them.

See the trailer here.