Nomadland 🚐 + Oscar Predictions #2
Nomadland 🚐 + Oscar Predictions #2
Happy Monday! I hope you had a stunning weekend. In movie news: Ari Aster, director of past recs Hereditary and Midsommar, is teaming up with Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix for Dissappointment Blvd., which will be released by A24. Plus, we got a first look at Emma Stone as Cruella de Vil in the trailer for Cruella. Onto today’s rec:
▶ Streaming on Hulu // Today’s movie is Chloe Zhao’s drama Nomadland. The third time was the charm for Chinese-American Zhao who received acclaim with her first two films but is on track to be the first woman of color to win Best Director at the Oscars with Nomadland.
After losing everything in the Great Recession, 60-year-old Fern (Frances McDormand) relies on a seasonal job at an Amazon distribution center to sustain her through workless months where she tours the American west in a van. [Trailer]
Why you should watch it: Nomadland is quiet by design. Fern doesn’t speak more than she has to, none of the characters do. It echoes their deep understanding of each other. They know little about each other, but what they do know is they’re all wanderers and that is enough for them to bond together. We explore the small wonders of living on the go—how you use the bathroom, find a place to park for the night, keep warm—but what is more important is the wonders of deciding to live as a nomad in the first place.
And while it sounds like they’re just surviving, there’s joy in the experience. There are simple joys in living an unattached life. Beneath the melancholy, there’s something so primally joyous about watching this group of largely elderly folk enjoy each other’s company around a campfire. Nomadland finds joy in the fleeting moments between destinations.
Directed by Chloé Zhao
Runtime 108 mins
Year 2020
🏆 Oscar Predictions: Best Actor
Though there seems to be a clear frontrunner, the race for the final slot in Best Actor is going to be a photo finish. Check out my predictions for Best Picture and Best Actress.
Frontrunners: Unlike Best Actress, where the race is more frontloaded, there’s really only one lock for a nomination.
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Fighting for the final spot: It’s pretty clear who the top six contenders are going to be. The question is which one of them misses out. My guess is Gary Oldman misses after winning a few years ago for Darkest Hour.
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods
Steven Yeun, Minari
Gary Oldman, Mank
Dark horses: While unlikely, if there is an upset it could be Globe nominee Tahar Rahim, rising star LaKeith Stanfield (who has a solid chance if his film is more popular than we think), and Oscar favorite Tom Hanks.
Tahar Rahim, The Mauritanian
LaKeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah
Tom Hanks, News of the World
Have a great week! Happy last week of February.
See you Thursday —
Karl