User reviews

This movie definitely does a good job of immersing you in the world of being a nomad. One of the best things about it is the performances it gets from the real-life nomads who are in this movie. What's interesting though is that as it goes on it is less about this nomad life and more about one person's grief from losing her husband. It was very frustrating at times watching Fern say no to opportunities at a more stable life. I did like the fact that no one in this movie was a bad person. There are moments where you think something bad will happen but it doesn't. Everyone is looking out for each other. It's not the type of movie I would watch again but it's worth seeing once.

My thoughts on this film: I can see how this movie is not for everyone, but I enjoyed it. I think, if you have even a remote interest in a nomad lifestyle, life on the road, extended road trips in campervans, then you would like this movie. It certainly shines a spotlight on a very small and unexplored part of society. There are actually people out there, in this day and age, who live in vans and travel around, working in different places. Who knew? And how exiting! And how lonely and intriguing. Why would someone do this? I get it, I'm adventurous, but how desolate and maybe even a little depressing. That lifestyle is certainly not for the faint of heart. You have to wonder about the mental health of some of these people, but that's in all walks of life, I suppose. And I think, in a way, that a lot of nomads are scarred in some way, and that's why they keep moving, keep trying to find themselves or something.

And then there's the protagonist. Who is she and why doesn't she let people get too close to her? My only really complaint about her character is that they could have given her a little more personality.

Ah, the cinematography. Simply stunning.

The ending was less than satisfying.

Overall, I think it was a lovely movie. I certainly thought about it for a long time afterwards. I don't feel it was best picture award-worthy, but I'm not an Academy member, so I've no say in the matter. A very solid 7 out of 10 IMDB stars from me.

I love the non sequiturs of Kelly Reichardt, so I'm fine with not much happening in a movie. I don't need bushels of plot.

But, despite, McDormand's brave contribution, I didn't think director Zhao hit the mark. For me, the pro actors didn't quite mesh with the real folks.

You could run the movie in reverse, it wouldn't make that much difference, such is its neutral tone and low affect throughout.

A drifter movie that just drifts. Nowhere near as good as American Honey, which is holding up as one of the great American drifter movies of this century or the last.

When people put themselves in vulnerable positions, bad things can happen. This is a human interaction movie which shows us believable people, meeting and gaining sparks from one another. Francis McDormand has become a premier actress. She's not attractive in a movie star sense, but she has one of the most expressive faces I've ever seen in film. Granted, we don't get to see the harsh side of the equation, which would include theft, intimidation, physical harm, and mental illness. Nevertheless, I found myself transfixed. She worked so hard and her spirit was seldom defeated. How can people be giving this a one. It tells me how jaded we have become. I guess there is a faction that feels the need to take down something that is hyped as if they have some power in their shortsightedness. I'm not saying it is a perfect movie but to say it is paint drying? I guess there weren't enough superheroes or aliens in it.

I believe that all bad ratings are given by people who just never traveled and did not feel these subtle details that are shown in the film. The film shows very accurately and vitally the fact that the spirit of adventurism and freedom lives inside the main character. There are no secret meanings here, even dialogues from different people about the philosophy of life are just part of the ordinary life of any person. Deep down, each person can decide and control the balance of their future and the right to make mistakes.

When life deals her an unfair hand, Fern backs her bags, loads her van up, and sets off for a journey of discovery and exploration, encountering many new people along the way.

I've given it a second watch, if I'm honest when I originally saw it at The Cinema, I found it a little boring, the vibe of the people around me generally boredom. The biggest frustration for me, was that it beat Promising young woman to the best picture Oscar, I don't see it at all.

I have to be honest, my opinion hasn't changed a huge deal, it's good, but it's just such a frustrating watch, at times Fern just drives you crazy, she is given opportunities, she just doesn't want to know half the time.

The major plus here, Frances McDormand is outstanding, her acting is phenomenal, she is one exceptional talent. You really do get the sense of how hard life is for someone in her situation.

I'm not sure the combination of actors and real life people always works, sometimes it feels a little awkward.

Chloé Zhao did a good job with the direction of it, much better than she did with Eternals. The cinematography is unbelievable.

6/10.

Let's get the obvious point out of the way first: Frances McDormand is a national treasure. She may well be the ranking American actress, and she conveys an "everywoman" aura that is almost hypnotic. The lines on her face, a limitation for many actresses, are an outstanding feature for her.

Now, as for the movie: As many have observed, there's scarcely a beginning, middle, or end. We're told how Fay got to be on the road, we see a handful of interactions with others, we get some gorgeous cinematography, and repeat; and repeat again. Life isn't half-bad for Fay and the people she encounters; as bad as it gets is a flat tire or a "helpful" friend inadvertently breaking a beloved piece of china. Somehow, there's money to pay for more serious problems. Other reviews have summarized dozens of ways that the life hinted at here is actually far more harsh than we see.

In many ways, this plays as the first episode of a limited TV series about being on the road. In my humble opinion, despite the gorgeous sunsets, such a pilot would not have been picked up.

One final thing, and perhaps my biggest problem - it's sometimes referred to as the "observer effect." In a movie filled with dozens of "real" people, the interior of a real Amazon, and so on, I found myself constantly wondering about the crew hovering on the edge of the screen with lights and cameras and a director. It really took me out of the movie. Apparently, it worked for the amateur cast; there's a story on the Internet about one of the amateur leads being really moved by hearing a sad story from Fay; once the scene ended, he was stunned when McDormand reminded him that she was acting, and everyone described in the story was actually alive and well. I guess it's great that Ms. McDormand is such a great actress that these real people believed her in real time. But for me, I wondered how real people could melt into being characters in a movie.

Having read a number of the (particularly negative) reviews, I am astonished at how few people understood the heart of this movie. It is ok if you weren't engaged, though simply say that.

The movie is about loss. All the stuff that happens ie. Living in a trailer, roaming around the country meeting strangers, being financially strapped and not having stability, meeting people you connect with & might have a future with, and even having a loving family that wants you stay with them -- that's all noise.

When one experiences loss & displacement like Frances' character, you become a little numb. Sad. Eternally weighed down and trapped in the past. You are stuck. You feel a void that won't be fulfilled by the things most normal people feel fulfilled by. Good things may come by, though they arent enough to fill the void. Or perhaps they are, but they are too afraid to to be open to the possibility of it being real. You fear another loss. So, your nomadic existance is a better bet, than taking a gamble on something better only to experience a new loss. Not everyone will handle it this way. Some may find fulfilment of their void by helping others. Others will find other ways.

The fulfilment from this nomadic lifestyle is borne out of having no expectations of anyone or any place; so, there is little chance of further disappointment or pain that can be felt. There is a freedom and release in knowing and feeling this. This becomes clear towards the end of the movie.

This story and her character is a hard one to connect with, and for those that do, its a daily battle whatever their life. For those that don't connect with the character, its a blessing. In a way, if you didn't get the movie it probably also means you are one of the lucky ones not to have experienced real loss.

See those images of Frances McDormand walking thru a bleak sunset landscape? There are dozens and dozens of those shots. They make up the bulk of the film, as if the makers were thrilled with "Days of Heaven" and it's minimalist photography. But that film at least had two characters to interact for a story to develop. This film is basically a solo effort where we are to get character, motivation, inner thoughts all from McDormand's face in closeup. This could have been a "Grapes of Wrath" type of film, based on its subject matter and milieu. However, you know what motivated the Joads, but McDormand's character offers very little insight as to what drives her

I don't really know what the negative reviewers expected to see but let me tell you, a movie doesn't have to have a big climax or a shocking plot twist to be good. This movie is simple, heartbreaking and human. The music by Ludovico is superb as always and the portrayal of the protagonist conveys solitude, humanity and need for (but also fear of) human connection is emotionally layered and beautiful. 100% would recommend.

'Nomadland' is based on a work of non-fiction - and it shows. It's a well made movie, but not a lot happens. It's the kind of movie where if someone asked you what the plot was it would be hard to answer. You'd basically just say we follow a woman around for 108 minutes while she travels around and changes job a lot. Some people seem to be falling in love with this movie, but I'm not quite sure what they're seeing in it that I didn't.

Frances McDormand is critical to this movie being as watchable as it is. She is becoming one of the most likeable and consistent actresses working today. I do prefer her in roles like 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' where she has a little more sass and edge to her character. Here she is a little flat, but that's more to do with her character not actually having a whole lot to do throughout the film.

I guess I just wanted more out of this film. I wanted it to be inspirational or moving or even just thought-provoking. I was hoping for a film more akin to 'Into the Wild'. I did get that sadly, and what I did get was pretty forgettable.

I am one of those people who live on the road by choice, and have done so for 10 years.

I felt as though this movie did not paint a true picture of folk who are houseless, but NOT by choice. Their day to day struggle was only touched on. Safety, security, health, food, fuel costs are all issues faced by these good folk every single hour of every single day.

The raw close ups did make you feel every emotion and the scenery was beautiful, but the movie didn't hit the mark for me. The camaraderie with fellow travellers was spot on. We all help each other out, no matter the circumstances.

I would be very interested to hear what other permanent travellers think of this movie.

I have to imagine 'Nomadland' is a hard sell for general audiences. There isn't really a plot, per se, beyond what any one-line premise conveys. Yet that's not the intention, anyway: 'Nomadland' isn't narrative fiction. It's a quasi-fictional portrait of America. And in showing us the country we don't see, it excels.

Great credit (and much deserved accolades) are due to Chloé Zhao, who not only directs here but also serves as producer and editor, and who also wrote the screenplay. While there are characters, and a loosely scattered progression of events, this is not a conventional film. More than anything I'm reminded of short films of the sort that probe some esoteric concept, with free flow between scarcely related scenes that encourage audiences to draw their own conclusions. It's a style that's a unique challenge for viewer and filmmaker alike, even over a mere 5, 10, 15 minute runtime - and 'Nomadland' is a full-length feature.

It does seem at times like the movie leaps too quickly from one scene to another; it becomes difficult to appreciate what one moment is conveying before we move on to another. Yet that also seems a bit appropriate, and intentional: after all, this is a story about modern-day nomads, who move from place to place and see many things without putting down roots. How perfect to capture that same spirit in the crafting of a film?

Through that construction, and the scenes laid before us, there is indeed much to glean from 'Nomadland.' Opening title cards and occasional dialogue relating economic and personal, financial hardship work toward that end, as well, but only show a small part of the picture. The feature follows an individual on a journey, yet what it's really about is a lost sense of exploration, freedom, and openness. It's about the bonds placed on us by a society and economic structure that demands endless labor and rigid obeisance; the trade-off of opportunity that comes with uncertainty - and the confinement that stability demands.

'Nomadland' explores, through protagonist Fern and the people she meets, the incredible diversity of our country, and the natural wonders it contains, that our societal structure purposefully keeps us from witnessing - a caged animal won't yearn for freedom if it doesn't know what it's missing. It examines the bizarre dichotomy between the found community that pops up in wide, open spaces, and the disconnection that's felt in those places where people live close together.

It offers a perspective on poverty, homelessness, and class structure that gets lost for those of us who have known relative comfort. We so often are told to look down upon people who seem to have less, and live different or more austere lifestyles. Capitalism gives us false promises of elevation while also evilly casting any apparent lack - of material goods, of nebulous success - as a moral failing. But it's all a transparent illusion meant to put up walls where true community, and mutual aid, should exist instead. And 'Nomadland' gives us all this and more in the form of scene by scene snapshots, not unlike the glimpses of the independent lifestyle nomads lead.

For seeming to do so little, 'Nomadland' says so very much.

Zhao wears many hats for this film, and does so deftly, with skills as a writer that matches those of her editing, and direction. There are many beautiful shots in this movie, of landscape and person alike. Zhao expertly captures the far-ranging emotions of her subjects, which apparently includes some real-life nomads portraying fictionalized versions of themselves. That, too, lends authenticity to the picture, and greater credence to the themes and notions it touches upon. Moreover, the somewhat minimalist original score by composer Ludovico Einaudi builds still further upon the emotional heft in 'Nomadland,' to great success.

A long time ago I would have said that 'Nomadland' isn't the sort of movie I'm interested in, what with the bare threads of plot and lack of narrative action or conflict. That's certainly not true any more, but it's still not the easiest film to sit through. Because this is a feature where what a viewer sees is far less important than what they perceive between the proverbial lines, and there is a great deal to pick up on as such.

I can absolutely see why this has garnered so much acclaim, and so many awards. By the nature of how and why it is crafted, 'Nomadland' isn't going to be for everyone. Yet for those who give it a try and are open to learning, it is a fantastic cinematic experience well worth the investment.

This movie presents a good philosophy of a 60 year old person. If you are 20 or 40 it might not make sense, but that is what this movie is about. You can see this soon.

The cinematography and acting are excellent. The movie is an interesting blend of fiction and documentary. It's slow and somber. I think the movie is an interesting achievement in cinematic art, but it doesn't really stand out to me as something I would normally go out of my way to watch.

Here are instructions to watch this movie as a profound experience:

Watch it without researching anything about the background of this movie. (Don't even focus on the awards and nominations.) You'll probably find it slow, melancholic maybe even boring. That's ok, keep watching.

Now pay attention to the credits and read the trivia section here and then the page of this movie on Wikipedia. Now read interviews with the supporting actors (e.g. Bob Wells).

Now realize what you have just seen...

This is cinematic patience, a bare and beautifully drawn out experience that paces and feels exactly like the lives and experiences it portrays. The landscapes are stunning, the camerawork intimate and always thoughtful with its choices. The movie makes subtle, deliberate gestures, and it all culminates into something really special. Movies so plot-thin always must walk the careful border of disinterest - but honestly I could've watched another hour of this stuff and never get bored. It's hypnotizing in its own unique way, and I haven't really seen anything quite like it. (This is the vibe I wish Sean Penn's Into the Wild could've captured).

8.5/10

Thanks to NSW government's dining and discovering vouchers I eventually get to enjoy this Academy Award winning movie in cinemas after a good few years. And in admiration of its winning three of the heaviest Oscar titles I have to say it is a very revealing although somehow overrated film that depicts the almost subterranean and invisible population in our world.

Nomads, together with the homeless, are no new concept in our community. We either see them or hear of them in various ways, via different channels and by any means. Yet we know so little about their lives. It is all too easy to assume that they are problematic people who don't work hard to afford to live in concrete buildings. Yet this movie proves otherwise. A lot of them are decent but probably different people from us, maybe a bit eccentric - to use a word from Fern's sister in the show. It is through this film that I come to understand that going nomadic is in some way, to some extent and by some degree by choice. The fact that Fern (Frances McDormand) not once but twice rejects the offer of staying home permanently with her sister and a former fellow nomad proves so. It is fair to say that we are all creatures of habit and once we get used to one pattern it is very hard to adjust to the other especially when you reach a later age. What strikes me is that Fern cannot sleep well on a real bed inside a house and eventually sneaks into her van and feels secure in her own comfort zone.

The mental health problems among nomads are an area of concern too. This population, cut off from the mainstream society, undoubtedly develops loneliness, helplessness, fear and anxiety. Dying cancer patient Swankie's conversation with Fern and fellow nomad Bob's revelation of his suicidal son serve as strong arguments. Yet nomads develop some kind of bond among them. Support yourself and help one another. Goodbyes are not final. That's what I have learned. We may bump each other again sometime down the track, and somewhere down the road.

With all the goodness mentioned above this show, however, lacks A-listers, which could have been a lackluster. Yet McDormand manages to up the ante, which proves to be a success. She particularly focuses on challenging figures such as Fern in this film and Mildred in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).

Having said that this film comes nowhere close to winning such big awards due to its inert plot and flat story. Artistic features of this film are kept at a bare minimum, which gives the feeling of flying no-frills Jetstar instead of full service Qantas. And I agree with other reviewers that this is somehow a boring movie. As a person of Chinese background I was somehow caught off guard that Chinese born Chloe Zhao won the Best Director which set high expectations on this show. And this finally proves to be a bit of disappointment.

Perhaps we should focus on the positive note on this overrated film and wish the nomads well. The uninspiring ending script somehow reveals the soul of this movie. That is, "Dedicated to people who had to depart. See you down the road." Yes stay safe fellas.

Just before I wrap up, the melancholy did linger around for quite some time in my mind just like a black coffee whose bitter taste stays on the tongue even after being sipped. Perhaps this is where the success of this movie lies in.

This is a very quiet movie.

It is a very slow paced film due to it being a very "fly on the wall" tale, I didn't find that this hindered the experience in any way though, I was never board when watching.

I think the casting of real world people was a fantastic movie by the film makers. I really am a sucker for this type of thing in a movie like in Freaks (1938). It adds this realism to a fiction story that just can't be manufactured and lets you get some sort of glimpse into a world different than your own. It is very documentary like at times.

I think Frances was really good and I really appreciated all the effort that she went though trying to capture this lifestyle. Honestly though for me the real life nomads stole the show. I thought they did a fantastic job for people who are not actors. I could have sat and listened to their stories for the whole movie. I couldn't tell if these stories were their real life experiences or they were wrote for them to say but I was just captivated by them.

The shots in the movie are also incredible. Chloé Zhao really knows how to get an amazing shot. There are so many in this film. They are really a treat to watch.

I think the score is really lovely too and works well with the story. It is quiet and reserved much like the movie.

I do however think that the character of Fern could have been a little bit more fleshed out. I could see this glimmers of personality trying to break though but they didn't. All I know is that she was a friendly woman. She was kind. I inferred other things about her but I didn't know if I was reading too much into it. I think a key moment is when a character talks about Fern and tells us what she is like and I was so confused because this wasn't the person that I had been watching. I think maybe they could have spent just a little bit more time fleshing her out maybe if they removed one of the jobs she does there could have been time.

I would definitely watch it if you are at all interested in this type of film and I think that it is just an interesting watch due to the production of it. It's something a little different.

Nomadland is where roaming memories and wandering tales of bittersweet lives meet to tell us their story.