Nomadland

This film, much like the characters it portrays, seems to be not quite sure where it wants to go. Early on it aims to be a postmodern Steinbeck, touching on Grapes of Wrath-style socioeconomic themes with a similar point of view. It can be, at times, very self-conscious in the way it tells its stories of the downtrodden. A lot of the early running time is taken up by the depressing spectacle of seeing the desperate in all their desperation, sometimes supporting each other, sometimes feeding off each other. Disease and its aftermath is a common theme in these tableaux, lest one let oneself believe that health care, or lack thereof, is not a fundamental issue in this society. all cogent observations of the American scene, so far. The filmmakers present the problems fairly comprehensively, but they notably offer no real answers--suggesting, somewhat ominously, that maybe there are no answers. That may not be a fair critique, but if someone has thought enough about these issues to produce a whole film about it, you might expect some suggestions in a movie that so obviously has political thoughts on its mind. What's more problematic is the film's shift from the political to the personal. As the story zeroes in even closer on Frances McDormand's protagonist, one can't help but conclude that Fern is a nomad not simply due to economics and bad luck, but due to personal dimensions that go beyond the facts of her life and rest closer to character flaws. Those pieces of the portrait tend to undermine the social/political viewpoint; they give the viewer room to dismiss or assign blame, and reject any thoughts towards social justice. The presentation overall is fine, but the story and message come across as too muddled and lacking in ultimate conviction to represent a grand achievement.