Nomadland

These are the people I want to watch, these are the stories I'm interested in, this is the face of the USA I want to explore. A semi-documentary ode to one of the last avatars of the original American idea, where we meet (with two exceptions) a whole range of real old-school nomads (as that term has been discredited by the bourgeois trend of "digital nomads") whose integrity makes it virtually impossible for them to act badly because they're just being themselves and the film doesn't put them in situations they don't know. In general, there's a great sense of humility from Chloé Zhao in this film, because just from how natural everyone involved seems you can tell that she must have been moving among them for some time, very subtly, until they got used to her presence and the camera. Otherwise there’s almost no point in talking about McDormand, the actress is absolutely incredible and along with the likes of Helen Mirren or Jennifer Jason Leigh demonstrates the power of ageing proudly. (28/02/2021)

"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." (01/03/2021)

American Film Academy awards have undergone significant changes in preferences over their long existence, which led to winning Oscars. There were times when Hollywood focused on major dramas about fundamental social issues and then times when studios preferred lavishly produced spectacles with significant commercial potential. Regardless of any trends that spread, the enduring notion of film fans about a winning Oscar film is directed towards an unmissable, visually appealing title that ideally has a societal impact and contains elements of higher culture. Simply put, it should be the film event of the year that can be used as advertising for the film industry and presented as a challenge to visit the movie theater. Nomadland fulfills none of that. I dare say that if Hollywood let a similar type of film win for another two or three years, it would condemn the Oscars competition to insignificance. The problem with the film does not lie in its intimate nature, and only partially in the fact that it lacks a significant plot. A film aimed at evoking empathy cannot function well if it is based on a distant, emotionally inaccessible protagonist who does not want or cannot live in a community, and establish and maintain new social relationships. The fundamental problem with Fern is not the death of her husband or her social poverty (she wasted more than a promising chance to start over), but the character's disposition. If my favorite Frances McDormand was not playing the main role, I would seriously consider giving it only two stars. Overall impression: 55%. (07/08/2021)

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)