Nomadland (Hulu)

 

Nomadland (Hulu)

This is a melancholic, if not at times a depressing movie. Frances McDormand gives a powerful nuanced performance as Fran. In Fargo she was resilient. In Three Billboards she was fierce. Here she is resolute in surviving tragedies late in life. After losing her job in a gypsum factory and her husband to cancer she sells her belongings and goes on the road.

She is not off the grid but is neither fully plugged in. She lives in a converted van and stays at  RV camp sites. There is a tribe of nomads traveling the roads and have a loose affiliation. She survives on minimal social security benefits and finds odd jobs working as a seasonal worker at an Amazon fulfillment center, an attendant at a state park and flipping burgers. When she is offered the hospitality to reside in a comfortable house she declines. The question of whether  she needs to be on the road or she wants to be on the road is equivocal. She says she is not homeless but does not have a house.

She is stoic and endures hardships of the road but also its pleasures. When she visits the Redwood Forest or  the Badlands it is it is the expression on her face that conveys her joy. She is a consummate actor. The film uses real life nomads; Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells. They befriend Fran and give her survival tips. She is encouraged by their journeys and inspired by their love of the road. They convey authenticity to the film.

The other actor of note is the veteran actor David Strathairn who is a fellow nomad. His character is  subdued and the years on the road wear on him. His awkward attempts to start a relationship with Fran are blocked by her noncommittal position.

The film is shot in some beautiful and somber locations. The vastness of some of the locations convey the solitude of the open road.

This film has received numerous accolades and a 95% from Rotten Tomatoes. Frances McDormand has been nominated for best actress for the 2021 Golden Globes, which she richly deserves.