NOMADLAND & I CARE A LOT. Rewatching SEARCH PARTY and my fav. songs of the week.

Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 19/02/2021

Another week under lockdown has ended. And although things seem to be getting better, we were told that we will need to stay sheltered in place for another month and a half. I may lose my mind before this all ends. But at least I’m healthy and have a lot of films and TV shows to watch. Anyway, this week I talk about my favorite film of 2020, NOMADLAND. The surprisingly good Netflix Original, I CARE A LOT, and the great time I’m having rewatching SEARCH PARTY. Also, some songs that I listened to during the week.

FILMS

NOMADLAND

Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The film features real nomads Linda May, Swankie, and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West.

Chloe Zhao really knows how to tells stories about people on the margins of society. She did that with THE RIDER and she does it again with this film. Here she introduces us to modern-day nomads. The film is moving, intimate, and has a lot of raw emotion. NOMADLAND has a documentary style of filmmaking that worked perfectly. 

On the technical level, the film is flawless. The cinematography is stunning. With beautiful landscapes with a natural look that will make you feel like you are there. Zhao’s decision to include actual nomads to play supporting characters worked very well. It is awesome to hear their stories get to know how life on the road really is.

Francis McCormack fits in perfectly with the non-actors. She really looks like she belongs and works as a guide to this world. You never feel that she is acting. But as if,  you're on a journey with a non-fictional character. She may be about to get her third Oscar.

Chloé Zhao is without a doubt one of the most interesting directors right now. And if she is killing it directing low-budget movies like this one, I can’t wait to see what she will do on the upcoming Marvel blockbuster ETERNALS.

I CARE A LOT

Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) is a professional, court-appointed guardian for dozens of elderly patients whose assets she seizes and defrauds through dubious but legal means. Marla and her business partner and lover Fran (Eiza González) run a well-oiled scammy company. They try to use this brutal efficiency on their latest “cherry,” Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest) — a wealthy retiree with no living heirs or family. But Miss Peterson turns out to have an equally shady secret of her own and connections to a volatile gangster ( Peter Dinklage). Marla then is forced to level up in a game only predators can play.

I thought this would be a very predictable and cheesy film but boy,  I was wrong. I CARE A LOT is an exciting and fun thriller. It offers some unexpected twists and turns, and it totally took a direction that I did not see coming. The premise of someone exploring America’s messed-up elder-care system did not impress me at first. But, the good writing and the amazing cast make the film work. And I loved the cat and mouse game that the main characters play. Eiza González, Dianne Wiest, and Peter Dinklage are all great but Rosamund Pike really steals the show. That's her best role since GONE GIRL. Her character is absolute ruthlessness and she plays it so well.

I CARE A LOT is twisty and deliciously evil. And I totally recommend it. 

TV

SEARCH PARTY

I have been rewatching all 4 seasons of SEARCH PARTY and I have to say, I’m having a blast! It is a crime that this show isn’t having the attention it deserves. it is so good and funny. And with its fourth season, that HBO Max just aired,  the show has achieved cult status in my opinion. 

When SEARCH PARTY started out, it was basically telling the stories of some millennial hipsters dealing with their boring and meaningless life, but with just enough quirks to make it interesting. However, it quickly spiraled into a drama/thriller with a lot of dark humor kind of show. The performances are all excellent and I like how the writing is tight and hilarious. The writers nailed the absurdity of these characters and I can’t have enough of them.

As I’m writing this, I have just finished watching the 2 first episodes of the third season and I can’t wait to go back to it. I’m also very happy to know that HBO Max already greenlit a fifth season and we will have more of these amazingly funny characters. I totally recommend you guys to check this show out. You won’t regret it. 

Top 5 songs

These were the 5 songs on my heavy rotation this week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube

1 - MOD SUN - Betterman

2 - nothing, nowhere. - Upside Down

3 - Dua Lipa - We're Good

4 - Nas - EPMD

5 - Citizen - I Want to Kill You