TIFF 2020: Nomadland Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Let the hype train commence and rightfully so. Coming off the darling indie hit, The Rider, writer/director Chloé Zhao is back with her highly-anticipated followup Nomadland and it definitely does not disappoint. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic certainly hasn’t helped things in general but despite this, the film could not have arrived at a better time and should be seen on a big screen if possible (as a side note, I saw this on a laptop screen which still worked to a certain extent). The recently-released teaser trailer does not do the film justice as the cinematography is some of the best in recent memory while Frances McDormand was no slouch either as the film puts her on full display here.

Nomadland tells the story of Fran (McDormand), a woman in her sixties who essentially lost everything after the great recession of 2008. As a result, she got into her van and makeshift home and went about travelling the American west, becoming a nomad of sorts. Over time, Fran lived a mostly solitary life, traveling the land and working a series of part-time jobs along the way. Meanwhile, she met a diverse group of similarly-minded people who have also faced hard times. Little did she know, they were all part of a tight-knit community that often traveled together and helped each other out, becoming lifelong friends. During their many group outings, they got together and shared stories and philosophies around a campfire. The film was chock full of these little moments where the sense of community felt real and genuine thanks to its predominantly non-professional cast who all delivered.

At the end of the day, behind that friendly personality, there were demons and Fran eventually had to face them so she can finally get some closure and move on seeing that she clearly could avoid them forever. That internal conflict, so brilliantly played by McDormand’s understated yet powerful performance, and Fran’s ensuing arc over the course of the film were the best part of Nomadland and are sure to garner her some award recognition. The film is all her as she single-handedly carries the emotional weight on her very capable shoulders. The only other notable actor here was Strathairn who was solid and had some chemistry with McDorman as Dave.

Overall, Nomadland is a powerhouse work of art that should not be missed.

still courtesy of TIFF

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.