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The Sudden Appearance of Hope
The Sudden Appearance of Hope
Claire North | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
5
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sadly I just don't think this book was for me. I was expecting a sci-fi mystery slice of life about a women living with the inability for people to form memories about her. Instead I got a jewel heist espionage book with a some neat main character.
  
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
1988 | Drama
I am fascinated by this film. On the one hand, I think that the first two hours of the film are a lovely look into a slice of life of what living in Sicily looked like in the 40s-50s, the third act is a disappointing mess that leaves the viewer wishing that they had just stopped the movie at the two-hour mark.
  
Nomadland (2020)
Nomadland (2020)
2020 | Drama
Pseudo-Documentary
Frances McDormand is an interesting character actress to watch, one that uses her character actress looks to disguise the fact that she is, in fact, a strong leading actress that draws our attention to her in whatever project she is in. This facet of her on-screen personae is going full throttle in her new film NOMADLAND.

And, thank goodness it is, for without McDormand on the screen, this “slice-of-life” pseudo-documentary disguised as a feature film would be almost unwatchable as McDormand’s character floats through “slice of life” after “slice of life” in what is referred to as the “Nomad Lifestyle”.

Earnestly Directed by Chloe Zao, NOMADLAND tells the tale of Fern (McDormand) who loses her life, her job and her husband during the recession of the late 2000’s and starts to float through life - and experiences - as a “Nomad”, a person with no permanent address who goes from place to place, catching on to the random odd job and living her life in her van.

Zao and McDormand spent years filming in actual Nomad communities with the others in this film often times not realizing that McDormand was an actress playing a part. For McDormand, it had to be the ultimate acting challenge - living in the real world as a character - and she brings a watchable, lost Fern to the screen and she genuinely and earnestly interacts with the real-life characters she encounters. She is very watchable and is a pleasant character to spend the time with.

Most of these real life people she encounters open up about their lifestyle and the movie took on the feel of documentary with Fern as the interviewer/narrator of the story. This made for an intriguing glimpse into a heretofore unknown world (at least to me), but not a compelling film does it make.

Zao does try to drive a narrative as the only other notable actor in this film - David Straitharn - shows up as a fellow Nomad that develops a crush on Fern and is interested in leaving the Nomad life and invites Fern to join him.

This is the only real conflict in this story as we spend an hour-forty-five watching Fern flit from place to place and person to person not really trying to find herself, but letting the wind blow her to wherever the trail takes her next.

An intriguing (enough) slice of life, with a watchable central performance by McDormand, but not substantial enough to engage me as a feature film.

Letter Grade: B (I applaud the attempt)

7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)