*Backlog* Reviewing "Nomadland": An introspective journey of a nomad American
Nomadland is directed by Chloe Zhao and starring Frances McDormand. McDormand plays Fern, a woman who was laid off when the company she was working for collapsed. Fern has taken to traveling around the US in a van which serves as her home. The film is suitably melancholic. Don't get me wrong, it's not really a film depicting tragedy, it just has a strangely downbeat atmosphere about it, a sobering yet affirming glimpse into little vignettes of Fern's life as a nomad. We get to see Fern traveling around in her van, meeting the nomads as we gradually realize that she is looking for something in her life that could anchor her after her husband's death and being laid off. This is a very emotionally driven and character driven film, with the entire plot hinging on Fern's interactions with the various figures she meets on her journey, and the emotions that are roused from those interactions. At one point in the film, Fern meets up with her sister and she opens up to her...