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This is very good from @joshuakeating on the shortcomings of "Nomadland."
Personally, I think the problem is a result of the tension between trying to make a docudrama about a dispossessed class and a character-driven empowerment story. https://slate.com/culture/2021/03/nomadland-oscars-road-movies-amazon.html
Personally, I think the problem is a result of the tension between trying to make a docudrama about a dispossessed class and a character-driven empowerment story. https://slate.com/culture/2021/03/nomadland-oscars-road-movies-amazon.html
It's really great that Fern found a way of living her life that works for her. She never fit in, and she should be able to live how she wants. "Nomadland" is moving in that sense.
But there are plenty of people who lost houses and stability and security who want *those* things.
But there are plenty of people who lost houses and stability and security who want *those* things.
This is, I think, the nub of the Amazon issue.
It's not that "Nomadland" doesn't eviscerate Amazon, it's that the movie is, "Huh. Well, I guess this is just how the world is now. Best get used to it. You know, some people are probably suited to this kind of living."
It's not that "Nomadland" doesn't eviscerate Amazon, it's that the movie is, "Huh. Well, I guess this is just how the world is now. Best get used to it. You know, some people are probably suited to this kind of living."
This is a shift between last year's awards fare and this year's slate.
Last year's movies were viscerally angry at how screwed up this whole thing was: "Parasite", "Joker", "Knives Out", even "Ready or Not."
Last year's movies were righteously angry, even superficially.
Last year's movies were viscerally angry at how screwed up this whole thing was: "Parasite", "Joker", "Knives Out", even "Ready or Not."
Last year's movies were righteously angry, even superficially.
This year's awards slate feel like the next stage of grief, as if moving on from anger to resignation.
Quite a few of this year's awards slate are about how you've lost something and it's just not coming back, so get used to it.
There's something faintly depressing in this.
Quite a few of this year's awards slate are about how you've lost something and it's just not coming back, so get used to it.
There's something faintly depressing in this.
That theme of "you've lost something and there's no way to get it back" is there, for example, in "Nomadland", "Sound of Metal", "The Father" and "Promising Young Woman."
It's arguably even there in the period trappings of "Mank." ("Minari" is a bit more hopeful.)
It's arguably even there in the period trappings of "Mank." ("Minari" is a bit more hopeful.)
To be fair, this theme probably makes sense at the end of what has been a draining and exhausting year.
However, it's probably also why I haven't necessarily connected to this year's awards slate. I look at how the world is, and I think we should be angry rather than resigned.
However, it's probably also why I haven't necessarily connected to this year's awards slate. I look at how the world is, and I think we should be angry rather than resigned.
(Incidentally, without wanting kick off a whole "Film Twitter" thing, this is probably explains why my favourite of the Best Picture nominees this year is what it is.
It's the only one of the nominees that meaningfully explores that intersection between anger and resignation.)
It's the only one of the nominees that meaningfully explores that intersection between anger and resignation.)
This has been Darren's "making sense of the Oscars" thread.
Thank you for attending my TED talk.
Thank you for attending my TED talk.
