Nomadland

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. (10.03.2021)

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 (19.01.2021)

An empathetically constructed carefree romp where everyone can find themselves at different spots. A little melancholic, a little contemplative, lots of thinking about death and the futility of human effort. And even though everything has already been more or less successfully explored in other independent works of self-discovery, Frances McDormand is so down-to-earth and "yours" that you have no defense, and with every solitary sunrise, she pricks your heart a little bit again. (26.03.2021)

Not the first time I can't appreciate an Oscar winning film. Personally, I have a soft spot in my heart for nomads, but that's not the point. Because Nomadland comes across as a documentary at times, it forced me to form an opinion about things that have nothing to do with the film. Cinematically, it's perfect by all accounts. Breathtaking shots of nature, sensitively portrayed loneliness and longing at the same time, very nice music, sound, editing. Beautiful, but unfortunately I can’t help at least partly judging how I like the specific way these people live, what they do and say, and so on. And that inevitably plays into my overall impression of the film. But the determination to go against the grain is beautiful and in its own way uplifting. So is the appreciation of nature and putting people above real estate. (25.06.2021)

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)

"What's remembered, lives." Nomadland, das Elemente von Drama, Roadmovie und einer Art Pseudo-Dokumentarfilm auf natürliche und ganz natürliche Weise verbindet, erzählt die Geschichte von Menschen, deren Leben auf den ersten Blick abenteuerlich und ungebunden erscheint, auf den zweiten Blick aber Einsamkeit, Wurzellosigkeit und Traurigkeit verspürt. Ein Film über Menschen, die sich für ein Leben in Bewegung und ohne festen Boden unter den Füßen entschieden haben oder vielmehr dazu gezwungen wurden - und dennoch können sich zwischen diesen "modernen Nomaden" Freundschaften oder sogar tiefere Beziehungen entwickeln. Ich war fasziniert davon, dass neben den professionellen Schauspielern auch "Naturtalente" im Film zu sehen waren, die neben der manchmal rauen Kamera und den Außenaufnahmen zur Glaubwürdigkeit des Films beitrugen - Daumen hoch für die Handlungsstränge mit Swankie und Bob. Daher schwankt der Film für mich zwischen drei und vier Sternen, aber in diesem Fall gebe ich einen extra Stern. P. S. "See you down the road." (01.03.2021)

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)

Filmchallenge, Genres - Road Movie. Ich empfehle es nachdrücklich allen Fans, Bewunderern und Verfechtern der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika. Ich leide nicht an Illusionen, und so betrachte ich mich nicht als den richtigen Zuschauer bei einem solchen Streifen. Nicht anzuzweifeln ist die Geschicklichkeit von Regie und Kamera, wirklich nicht. Doch die Geschichte? Die grundlegende Botschaft zum Zustand der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika kann auch anders als in einem Film vermittelt werden. Ich musste mich sehr überwinden, um Nomadland überhaupt bis zu Ende zu schauen, stellenweise war dies für mich starke psychische Qual. Und Frances McDormand und ich werden nie auf einer Wellenlinie senden. Ich habe es hinter mir, und heute Nacht wird dieser Streifen nicht in der Kategorie Bester Film gewinnen, es gibt dort andere und viel bessere Anwärter. (25.04.2021)

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)