REVIEW: Nomadland

Nellie Shih Leave a comment

A large number of award-winning films are nothing like the action-packed blockbusters that generate billions of dollars at the box office. Rather than being driven by thrilling chase sequences and clever plot twists, these films tend to just showcase a series of conversations between characters. One such film is director/writer/editor Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland, one of the frontrunners for the upcoming Oscars season. The film stars Frances McDormand as a modern-day nomad with nothing but a van. It is the first film to win the top prize at both Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.

Nomadland is a very subdued film. It is a testament to Zhao’s skills as a filmmaker: the acting is incredible, especially since Zhao elected to cast several real-life nomads rather than strictly professional actors; the writing of the dialogue between the characters is very realistic; and the film is visually stunning with its expansive shots of mountains, roads, rocks, trees, and beaches.

Frances McDormand proves again that she is a phenomenal actress. Her character, Fern, is quiet and pensive, and it’s clear how great a toll the effects of the Great Recession have taken on her, and therefore her relationship with her family. McDormand portrays Fern’s frustration through a singular snarky comment to her sister and hesitant but still firm defensive interjections when she finds herself in disagreement with others. There isn’t a classic Oscar-bait huge argument scene with tears and screaming and shattering of glasses, but the way in which McDormand and Zhao have elected to tell Fern’s story is just as – if not more – effective.

The role of the nomads that Fern crosses paths with and befriends are the driving force and the heart of the film. Most of them are victims of difficult situations that led them to choose a nomadic lifestyle, but they are all very accepting and realistic about where they are. Rather than to wallow in self-pity and bitterness, they instead choose to celebrate what life has to offer, vowing to live a life free from regret, and they see no benefit in clinging to what’s of the the past. In sharing these real nomads’ perspectives on life, there was room for the dialogue to be incredibly exaggerated, however it seems that the casting preserved the authenticity of the actor-characters’ sentiment, and of the modern nomadic lifestyle.

Nomadland is a celebration of life in the most unassuming way possible. The film meanders through natural landscapes, and stops for quick chats with the few individuals it finds traversing the scenery. Simply, it is very moving. It’s melancholy, yet it never fails to be hopeful.

PREVIEW: Quarantine With Pops Orchestra

Lucy Leave a comment

The University of Michigan Pops Orchestra has prepared a wonderful orchestral presentation for anyone to watch free on their website! “Quarantine with Pops!” lead by music director Tal Benatar and executive director Jessica Wu includes a diverse repertoire, with songs from La La Land, Pixar, Moana, and others. The performance includes a combination of music, multimedia, antics, and special effects. I can’t wait to see the show! I miss orchestral music and the pieces being performed in this arrangement sound right up my alley. I am also excited to see the multimedia and special effects!

If you want to watch, it is available here: https://www.michiganpops.org

PREVIEW: Nomadland

Nellie Shih Leave a comment

Nomadland is a 2020 film based on the non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. Directed by Chloé Zhao and starring Frances McDormand, the film follows a woman who, after losing everything during the Great Recession, lives as a modern-day nomad and travels by van through the American West. The film was initially intended to be released in theaters on December 4th, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Searchlight Pictures opted for a February 19th, 2021 theatrical release. However, the film is currently being screened virtually by Film at Lincoln Center, with its final screening on the 10th. All tickets are now sold out, but keep an eye out on the Film at Lincoln Center’s Twitter as they released some extra tickets earlier this week.

REVIEW: Crushed Marigold

kayrenee Leave a comment

Crushed Marigold is a bountiful expression of love. That was the first thought that came to mind as I read the final words of this poetry chapbook. The warmth and power of Christiana Castillo’s words are radiant, inviting the reader into her story of healing, gratitude, and celebration of roots. 

Castillo is part of one of my most treasured U-M communities: my cohort of future educators. Born in Brazil and currently based out of the Detroit area, she is a Latina/Chicana poet, teaching artist, and gardener. Her contributions to class discussions are always eloquent and meaningful, so when I heard she was publishing a collection of poetry, I knew I would be excited to read it.

The words, both in English and in Spanish, spill onto the page in different shapes and decorate the page with text. When read aloud, these shapes of text create rhythms that change from page to page, rhythms that help tell the stories of each poem. Additionally, the colorful illustrations reinforce the imagery of Castillo’s poetry. Karla Rosas’s whimsical and expressive strokes perfectly capture the imagery and character of each poem. 

Throughout the chapbook, the repetition of “mija” emphasizes a love for community, for family, for tradition, and for brown girls. This love is further sustained by a sense of intergenerational connection that feels deeply sacred and deeply feminine. Many poems in the collection are told through the voice of the Castillo’s grandmother. “Life is buzzing within you mija, / you can transform your hands to carry rain drops. / You can remove withered leaves and make room for new life” (26). These words create vivid images of the beauty of nature and the beauty of self. 

Here, we see that themes of connectedness and femininity extend not only to family and community, but also to the earth. Crushed Marigold urges readers to notice the nature around them that embraces and blesses them every day. Poetry that emphasizes gratitude gives me a feeling of wholeness and grounding, and Castillo’s words do just that.

While moments in the collection serve as poignant reminders of displacement, loss, and oppression, resilience is woven into each page. One of the ways that Crushed Marigold seeks to cultivate this sacred resilience is through self-love, as depicted in the comparison of the female body to a shrine. Here, we see the body connected to history and holiness. This empowering, metaphorical image asserts that one’s heart and body are worthy of abundant respect and love.   

As a whole, Crushed Marigold is a blessing, it is community, it is resistance to colonization, and it harbors an immense love for womxn--especially for brown girls. 

Crushed Marigold is available for purchase: www.flowerflowerpress.press/shop/crushed-marigold

Read about the poet: www.christianacastillo.com/

REVIEW: Hillbilly Elegy

Lucy Leave a comment

Well, unfortunately, Hillbilly Elegy has lived up to its 27% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Even without reading the apparently fabulous book, I would not say this was a particularly good adaptation, nor was it good as a standalone movie.

My first criticism is that the movie did not particularly feel like one, cohesive story. I felt like I was watching one episode from a series, and an episode that was not particularly important, just an inclusion of some plot points. When the movie ended, it was very abrupt, with no conclusion at all, and I was very confused as to why it was over because there was so much left unresolved. I was enjoying the story as it went along, and I thought that with another 30 or 45 minutes, perhaps there could have been a more thorough ending and wrap-up of the storyline. As it was, I sat there when the movie ended thinking, “Wait, that’s it? That is where they decided to end it? I thought there would be more!”

I will say that I really enjoyed the different characters and their struggles, and was sympathetic for the main character and his struggles. I thought the acting was well done, but I was disappointed that the actual plot of the movie did not live up to the skill of its actors. I thought that the grandmother was particularly fantastic as both the character she was playing and the actress herself. I really appreciated the dichotomy of her role as both a mother trying to protect her own child as well as a grandmother trying to make sure that her grandchildren do not suffer the same fate as her own children. I really did not expect some of the information we learned about her past, and I thought the character was well-written.

Much of what the online chatter about this movie spoke about was the misrepresentation of lower-class America, and the erasure of the political underpinnings of the original story from the book. I did not feel this movie was political almost at all, except for just a bit of discrimination based on where you are from and your roots. But I did not feel that the main storyline expressed a particularly political theme. I also don’t know much about the typical lifestyle of those in lower-class America, but the movie definitely felt a bit typified and cliche for sure.

Overall, I would not say this movie was worth the watch. I’m not exactly sure what they were trying to go for, but this was definitely a misrepresentation of the book and was not particularly cohesive as a story anyway. I would advise reading the book instead!

PREVIEW: Hillbilly Elegy

Lucy Leave a comment

Hillbilly Elegy is a drama released on Netflix, that came out in the end of November. It is a 2 hour film, adapted from a book with the same name, that follows a Yale student who from a small Appalachian town that he has worked very hard to escape. When he finds out his mother is in the hospital, he returns to his town, and the movie follows his reflection on both his own history, his family’s past, and his future. The movie got a 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, so I am very excited to see how it turned out! I have a feeling I will have a lot to say. One disclaimer, I have never read the book, but I have heard very good things about that version of the story. The movie is available on Netflix now!