Nomadland

I’ll admit, after first watching Nomadland I daydreamed about customizing my small SUV and hitting the road trekking to one national park after another with no end in sight. There’s this uniquely American fantasy about freedom on the open road and never ending road trips that draws us urban and suburban dwellers into Nomadland, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. While there certainly is beauty and freedom in this lifestyle, I don’t think I, or many like me, would adjust well to the harsh realities, even if money weren’t an issue. One needs to be made of tougher stuff to live with a severe lack of modern facilities and have a level of self sufficiency that I don’t think I could manage in many situations. And there’s a fine line between peaceful seclusion and stark loneliness that this life can bring. 

Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland follows Fern (Frances McDormand) on her journey living and working as she treks around the American west. Recently, Fern’s husband died and their entire town, Empire NV, has been dissolved following the closing of their factory after the recession. Fern has lost everything but a van and a small storage unit. So she travels, lives in her van and finds temp work. Around the winter holidays she works at Amazon packing boxes, in Arizona she sells rocks. In South Dakota a friend finds her work at the Wall Drug tourist spot just outside the Badlands. In Idaho she works among potato farmers. Along the way she meets old friends and finds new ones, but they’re never a permanent companion. It’s an endless odyssey where you never say goodbye, just “I’ll see ya down the road.” 

One of Fern’s notable friends she makes on the road is Dave (David Strathairn).  In their first few interactions, it’s seen that he could be a potential romance though the idea is never spoken, much less pursued. His presence in the film is fun and comforting for the most part. Friction occurs when he tries to be helpful and ends up breaking Fern’s plates, a practical and sentimental blow. Later in the film, Fern visits Dave after he’s moved in with his son to be with his new grandchild. He says she can stay, permanently, but Fern knows that that life isn’t meant for her anymore and she’s a bit dismayed that her friend would go back to it. 

Nomadland is currently nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture and cinematography. Frances McDormand earned her sixth and seventh Oscar nomination (one as an actor, the other as a producer for the film), her third for lead actress. And badass powerhouse Chloé Zhao picks up her first four Oscar nominations by producing, directing, writing and editing this absolute masterpiece. I hope to see her win a few on Oscar night and earn more for years to come. 

Before writing, I decided to watch Nomadland a second time and didn’t find myself yearning to hit the open road as much, but filled with sorrow for the reasons people chose this lifestyle. Most of the nomad community Fern befriends are older people who have lost their livelihoods in the recession, lost loved ones or both. Their nomadic lifestyle may be a last resort as the capitalistic system failed them, or the one thing they can control or a last hurrah before the end. While there is a wonderful sense of community when these nomads are together, it’s mainly a lonely life often built on grief and sorrow. I’m still filled with wanderlust, but now there’s a clash between financial and existential dread. And to think of your whole life wasted working for nothing is so disheartening. 

“I worked for corporate America, you know, for 20 years. My friend Bill worked for the same company. And… He had liver failure. A week before he was due to retire, HR called him in hospice and said, you know, let’s talk about your retirement. And he died 10 days later, having never been able to take that sailboat that he bought out of his driveway. And he missed out on everything. Then he told me before he died, just don’t waste any time, girl. Don’t waste any time.”

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

In the midst of the MeToo era, Three Billboards is a resounding battle-cry for those seeking justice. In the film, Mildred (Frances McDormand) pays for three old billboards to display a message calling out the local police department to find the man who raped and murdered her daughter seven months ago. It’s a bold message with huge black letters on bright red. And even though the billboards are on an older road that hardly anyone travels down, word about them travels fast.

Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) addresses Mildred head on, after the billboards call him out by name. He visits Mildred and explains that he and his officers have been working on the case and doing all they can, but they just can’t find a DNA match. Mildred won’t be satisfied until the culprit is found. Complicating things for Willoughby is the fact that he has cancer and everyone knows it, but he works hard to not let it affect his work. The two butt heads and can act like fierce adversaries, but are ultimately on the same side.

The billboards make Mildred and her family targets. Men come into Mildred’s work to intimidate her. Kids throw things at her car as she takes her kid to school. But Mildred doesn’t scare easily and doesn’t back down. In fact, when people try to destroy the billboards, she retaliates, fighting fire with fire.

To put it mildly, Mildred is a force to be reckoned with and you do not want to get on her bad side. At first glance, she may not look like much, just a middle aged woman in coveralls, no makeup and her hair in a short messy bun. This is also her look out at the fanciest restaurant in town. But then she opens her delightfully foul mouth and shows us just how she doesn’t give a f-ck and will put anyone in their place. Police officers, the local priest, kids at her son’s school, the tv reporter live, she’ll call them out and leave everyone with their mouths agape in shock. Even alone, with her guard down a bit and talking to her bunny slippers, she’s still got that rough edge that I love. McDormand has the award for best actress in the bag.

The film is also nominated for a total of seven other Academy Awards, including best actress and Best Picture. Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell are both nominated in the best supporting actor category for their very different roles in Ebbing’s police force. Three Billboards is also nominated for original score, film editing and original screenplay.

Three Billboards is easily one of the best film I’ve seen all year. The story is captivating and keeps the audience interested until the very end. While none of the characters are purely good or evil, they are all so fleshed out, full of truth and entertaining. By the end of the film, I was truly invested in Mildred, her family, Willoughby, his family and even that screw-up officer accused of torturing black people. Three Billboards is a captivating, smart movie everyone, who can stand a lot of cursing, should see.

“Yup, still no arrests. How come I wonder? ‘Cause there ain’t no God and the whole world’s empty, and it doesn’t matter what we do to each other? I hope not.”

Moonrise Kingdom

The biggest treat last the summer was Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom.  It is a sweet, nostalgic story of a twelve-year-old couple who run away together, and the search party looking for them, on a small New England island in the 1960s.  Among the a large cast of young actors are more seasoned and familiar faces that bring their support to letting the two tween leads shine.  The final product becomes a beautiful film with a distinct style both visually and emotionally.

Sam (Jared Gilman) is an orphan Khaki Scout and Suzy (Kara Hayward) is the eldest child, misunderstood by her family.  Their relationship is sweet and mildly innocent without any cliche mush.  Sam is a gentleman, using his scouting skills to lead the way, catch dinner and keep a tidy campsite.  Suzy brings a borrowed record player, a kitten and reads her stolen library books to Sam by the fire.  Their day alone together must have easily been the best of their young lives and we share their joy as they claim that beach as their own.

However, a small group of adults and Khaki Scouts are pursuing them to no end.  Suzy’s parents, Laura (Frances McDormand) and Walt (Bill Murray) are furious and worried, bringing their three sons in tow.  Having already lost Sam, Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) awkwardly leads his scouts in the search, with no real control.  The remaining scouts don’t really care for Sam, and are prepared to take him by force.  And as Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis), the town’s police officer, searches for Sam and Suzy, he becomes more and more invested in what will happen to Sam once he is found.

There are two themes in the film that really shined through for me that I didn’t connect fully on my initial viewing.  First is how the simple theme from Noah’s Ark comes into play.  At the wonderfully elaborate church’s production of Noah’s Ark, that the whole town seems to either be in or watching, Sam and Suzy first meet.  Later in the film, a storm hits the island, bringing new dangers, challenges and wonderful images of a threatening flood.  The olive branch extended in the end will warm your heart.

Second is the idea of an orchestra.  The film starts with Suzy’s brothers listening to a record where each section of instruments is introduced and it helps illustrate their individual roles in the music.  The same idea is present in the film, and each section of characters are introduced individually so we understand their different tones.  While Suzy and Sam provide a beautiful melody, they are nothing without Suzy’s family, Captain Sharp and Scout Master Ward behind them and everything keeps to the beat of those Khaki Scouts, with Social Services (Tilda Swinton) and the narrator (Bob Balaban) having brief but important solos.

Visually, Moonrise Kingdom keeps to Wes Anderson’s usual style.  We see most scenes from a very straightforward perspective and usually the focus of the screen is centered.  Most scenes are very symmetrical.  This makes scenes with Suzy and Sam in the woods stand out more, and feel more relaxed and free.  It’s harder to find such rigid geometry in nature.

In the end, I believe Moonrise Kingdom will be remembered as that wonderful film we share with kids for generations to come.  It only got one Oscar nomination, for best original screenplay, but it feels like it deserves so much more.  However, with such young lead actors and such a dense field in their year, it just didn’t pick up as much merit as its competition.

“It’s been proven by history: all mankind makes mistakes.”

Fargo

Right here, it’s snowing outside.  The sky is a dull white, matching the snow covering the ground.  To get from town to town around here, you have to take the vacant country roads with sprawling white fields at each side.  Add in just a touch of fog or snow, the sky matches the ground and the road disappears into the white unknown.  I could drive a mile up the road right now and lose myself knowing that Fargo looks just like the world around me.  An eerie, cold no-man’s land, where the pure white snow only magnifies anything out of place.

Jerry (William H. Macy) is in some deep financial troubles.  The details are never explained because they are not important.  What is important, is that Jerry is desperate enough to hire two men from Fargo, Carl (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear (Peter Stormare), to kidnap his wife, in hopes of splitting the ransom that his wealthy father-in-law (Harve Presnell) will pay.  Jerry gives the men a car off the lot of the dealership he works at, owned by his father-in-law.  But things get messy, the kidnappers kill a cop and two innocent people in Brainerd.  This sends a pregnant cop, Marge (Frances McDormand), out to investigate.

Carl and Gaear are a perfect duo of scumbags.  Carl is repeatedly described as the little funny looking one who’s looking for action, entertainment and money.  Gaear is the more stoic and ruthless one who can shoot a cop in the head without batting an eye.  Carl complains that he hardly talks their entire car ride from Fargo to Minneapolis.  I see Gaear as a human embodiment of the harsh, snow covered, flat scenery that offers nothing much to talk about.

Marge is one of the greatest portrayals of women in modern cinema.  McDormand won the Oscar for lead actress in this role.  Marge is an amazing, tenacious woman who can walk out to a murder scene in six inches of snow six months pregnant.  She and her husband have a loving and simple support system with each other.  Marge is the breadwinner while Norm is an artist, and he makes sure his pregnant wife is eating well.  It’s so refreshing to see a strong, bold, successful woman, in a loving relationship that that has a level head on her shoulders and doesn’t need to be wearing anything more flattering than a fuzzy deer-stalker hat.  That thick Minnesota accent just tops it off as perfection.

What makes this film so amazing is the perfect mixture of senseless violence and the chilling setting.  There’s something about snow that’s so peaceful, pure and innocent.  In the dark, it has this power to become reflective, giving illumination to whatever wrongdoing is going on at the moment.  It can even contribute to the chaos, causing cars to lose control and flip over onto the side of the road.  What is most chilling is when we see a body or blood strewn across and tainting all that was once pure and white.

The most shocking thing about Fargo is that it is based on a true story.  And if the film’s plot follows the truth well enough, it was set in motion by a bumbling family man with money problems.  Of all the horrible ways for senseless violence to be set in motion, it was all completely preventable by one mild mannered man.  Jerry has no idea the string of bloodshed he set loose until it’s far too late and we have no sympathy for him.

Fargo is, by far, the best film of 1996.  The story is shown to us perfectly and the bleak visuals are spellbinding in their simplicity.  Each character has perfect contributions to the plot and are brought to life wonderfully by each actor.  And the ruthless violence among an otherwise peaceful setting stirs us down to our core.  If you want to see the Coen brothers at their best, Fargo is it.

“OK, so we got a trooper pulls someone over, we got a shooting, these folks drive by, there’s a high-speed pursuit, ends here and then this execution-type deal.”