Nomadland

Nomandland has come out of the festival circuit with the reputation of one of the best films of the year and a clear Oscar favourite, something that may generate expectations impossible to meet for some people. For me, it’s a very decent drama with a superb Frances McDormand, but I can’t say it stands out in any significant way from many other decent dramas. On the other hand, it’s clear that, in terms of social relevance, it will surely resonate more in the US than here. 7/10 (01/19/2021)

Oscars, kiss my ass. I honestly don't understand how anyone at the Academy can be surprised that their viewing numbers keep dropping year after year when Best Picture is won by a film that no one in the general public has seen, and which normally would have been snubbed at all the film festivals. Granted, it's an interesting story with interesting people and Frances McDormand, who is perfect for such a role, but it's really sloppily shot. Trying to evoke a sense of being one with nature, a meditative atmosphere, or whatever, by slapping in some (otherwise beautiful) piano music by Einaudi, and stretching out the running time with five-second shots of cactuses, surrounding landscape, sunsets, et cetera? Meh... (01/01/2022)

A fragile, subtle social drama that resonated with me in a similar way as its indie brother The Florida Project did years ago, which I actually found more distinctive and more interesting. But even so, I had no problem empathising with Fren's nomadic fate and sometimes, in my late fifties, when everything at work pisses me off, I'd pick everything up and move to Kořenov in the Jizera Mountains, in the middle of beautiful nature :o) I really envied her unbridled freedom sometimes, and the nice people around her, you don’t get that in our country. Still, I have a nagging feeling that the Oscar buzz around this film is a testament to how poor last year was cinematically. In other times, in fatter years, Chloé Zhao would have collected awards only at Sundance, but now she can dream of golden baldies in her covid nightmare. (03/10/2021)

"What's remembered, lives." Nomadland, which combines elements of drama, road movie and a pseudo-documentary in a natural and non-violent way, tells the story of people whose lives seem adventurous and unbound at first glance, but on second look you feels their loneliness, rootlessness and sadness. It is a film about people who have chosen, or rather been forced to choose, a life on the move and with almost no solid ground under their feet. But even so, friendships or even deeper relationships can form between these "modern nomads". I was intrigued that alongside the professional actors, the film also features "naturals" who, together with the sometimes almost raw cinematography and locations, added to the film’s believability – thumbs up for the storylines with Swankie and Bob. As a result, the film hovers between three and four stars for me, but in this case I'll add extra one. PS: "See you down the road." (03/01/2021)