Sometimes circumstances throw you onto living on the road. With the death of her husband, and death of the company owned town she lived in, Fern has only her van and only the most inessential of belongings left in a lock up. Every inch of space inside her van is altered to provide extra storage or a surface to work on. Setting out on her travels she bumps into more experienced fellow travellers and learns how to get the most out of this lifestyle. She meets a former neighbour, her sister, and Dave a fellow nomad traveler. All encourage her to settle down with them. But Fern has come to prefer this lifestyle, its the freedom it brings. It suits her just fine being a nomad tied to no one or nowhere.
This is such a beautiful yet poignant film, that at times in its slow gentle and elegiac journey provides moments that are deeply touching. Life has often dealt all these people a bad hand, leaving them little option other than to be itinerant. Yet they have made this lifestyle all there own, taken full possession of it and make it work for them. Many of the actors are untrained and are from this nomadic American tradition. Into this the inestimably grounded acting style of Frances McDormand deftly slips herself. Its so unshowy yet packs quite an emotional punch.
Chloe Zhao helms this film with assuredness and emotional dexterity. Conveying its tough rawness, but also the beauty of the landscapes they traverse and live in. You can feel what the appeal of it might be. Though its not an easy lifestyle, nor one where you can afford to be too picky about what work you do. Its a rare style of film to win so many Oscars, but this is a real gem.
CARROT REVIEW 8/8
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