Nomadland delivers on many fronts: innocent performances, cleverly awkward cinematography, and raw intimacy. Yet, Chloé Zhao’s factual but fictional style takes centre stage only to end up hindering what could have shined just a little bit brighter. Nomadland, at its core, strays from the beaten path. On one hand, the film wanders around aimlessly as a simple narrative is woven and ‘stretched’ into a feature film. Yet on the other, Chloé Zhao delivers an elegant and intricate portrait into a reality; every feeling carefully placed as an entire lifestyle is laid bare. This second view lies beyond the surface of Zhao’s fictional but factual portrait, a perspective that may take its own time to take root and grow into what is Nomadland’s deserved appreciation. Widowed and jobless, Fern (Frances McDormand) wanders the West after leaving her long-time home in Empire. Nomadland follows Fern’s journey in a docu-fictional manner as Zhao jumps from moment to moment: Fern finds a job at an Amazon fulfilment centre (a topic that is, disappointingly, only hinted at), she speaks to some colleagues, and then leaves, the experience feeling somewhat empty as Fern moves on. Most interactions...
