It's always about this time of year that we start hearing buzz about certain films: dramas that have swept festival awards circuits, typically starring an older well-regarded actor, etc. I try not to subscribe to the notion of “Oscar bait,” because to me that implies a world in which none of these movies are fueled by artist vision or passion of any kind, and, for the most part, it's easy to find something to like in most of these kinds of films, whether it be a strong lead performance, a fun pastel color palette, or extravagant, period-appropriate costuming. However, every few years, there comes a film that feels so squarely lobbed at garnering critical appeal and exclusively that which always leaves a nasty taste in my mouth as I come out of the theater. Nomadland is one of these films. In a savvy attempt to land somewhere between Terrence Malick and Kelly Reichardt, director Chloé Zhao has sorely misunderstood the inner workings of films by both. Where both aforementioned directors often wield non-narrative to create achingly beautiful thematic journeys for nomadic, quiet protagonists (see Days of Heaven and Wendy and Lucy), Zhao has used this formula to shoot her film in the foot, extracting all engaging thematic content in favor of emotionally devoid silences and weighty exposits of monologue, which often come in the form of confusing ramblings by non-characters. Additionally, the topic of financial struggle feels strangely romanticised here, as if some flimsy half-attempt at tackling a politically centrist agenda, only insomuch to satisfy mainstream audiences. Her strict adherence to a baffling anti-style does not help the film either; despite its marvelous locationwork, little of this comes through on screen, even in a gigantic IMAX theater, as the film refuses to show the audience any larger perspectives on the deserts, mountains, or cliffs, instead opting to show McDormand or her van in most shots. McDormand, while still the strong point of this film, feels misdirected, as she fails to land some comedic and emotional beats when the film could have desperately used them. While the story can have engaging moments, and McDormand does some commendable work, Nomadland otherwise comes up entirely short, as it fails to provide an interesting non-narrative character study and bores with its flat aesthetics.
Score: ★½ / ★★★★★
Score: ★½ / ★★★★★
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