First Take: Nomadland - on the road again, but not as we first thought

SYNOPSIS: A woman in her sixties, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.

This year’s Oscars were strange. No red carpet, a small affair, and of course, no major audience (those viewing figures say it all)- but it was a historic Oscars regardless. For only the second time in history, a female director won Best Director - a female director who is currently working on no less than Marvel’s Eternals and a reboot of Dracula for Universal - and this was the very movie that elevated Chloe Zhao to the stratosphere.

Zhao directed, edited and penned this film based upon a book by Jessica Bruder, and you can just see the level of input she had on the work- it’s simple, back to basics filmmaking, which just happens to work incredibly well as it is written to the strengths of the cast she has brought together. Coming in at a lean 1 hour 47 minutes, it may be a slow burner in terms of pacing, but given the documentary style, it is understandable. Add in some stellar camerawork from Joshua James Richards, and a Ludovico Einaudi score, once again, the minimalist feel comes to mind.

As she did in Three Billboards, Frances McDormand’s performance is the glue that solidifies the film, once again delivering a masterclass in getting into the character- it is a subtle and understated performance, yet powerful enough to transcend the screen (or streaming service like the initial UK release) for something much bigger. Supporting roles are difficult to mention for this release, as to add to the authenticity, Zhao recruited actual ‘nomads’ to play fictionalised versions of themselves, creating something A-level film students know very well: verisimilitude - a depiction of the world that feels faithful and accurate.

THE VERDICT

Nomadland has been described by a lot of the so-called ‘film Twitter’ community as the ultimate minimalist piece of filmmaking- simple, yet powerful, just what Academy voters wanted to see. With it finally hitting UK cinemas this week, hopefully audiences can finally get behind the film properly.

RATING: 5/5