Critics and award groups are falling all over themselves about it. I don't know why. I didn't hate it, in the sense that there are some movies that actively rile you up in that way when you watch them, I was just perplexed at what people are reveling in. It might be it's hybrid form, it's part fiction and part documentary, but it's not a docudrama...and I think the fiction and the documentary work against each other. It seems like they think the documentary part of it overrides the lack of any real character development in the fiction side of it.
Another thing that really bugs me is many people remarking about the film's beautiful scenery. It even won the Critics Choice Award last night for cinematography. It's true what is being photographed is beautiful, but it's not beautifully photographed. Take a look at another road movie like Easy Rider. Compare the cinematography. This film is akin to The Grapes of Wrath in many respects, but without an audience's connection to the characters and their plight. Nomadland has an air of false importance that seems more like a con. You often feel a heartwarming sense during the film that beneath the surface is utter nonsense. I heard someone say that it's the nicest movie about homelessness, financial despair and human frailty you'll ever see. To me I'd describe the film as the equivalent of someone asking "How are you today?" and you reply with an upbeat "I'm good," because both of you really don't want to discuss the truth of the matter.
Interestingly, I read an article this afternoon about someone's look back at the movie Platoon and how it isn't holding up well. He remarks about the reasons people voted it best film awards at the time and how those reasons have abated since. Maybe people watching this movie now, when we've all been quarantined for a year, are feeling a compassion to the people in the movie, realizing what their own lives have been like lately and feeling some connection in that way. This movie reminds me of a movie critics often champion throughout the year, but is relegated to arthouses for the most part and a general public ignores. Not for everyone. People keep wondering why the award shows so far have been ratings disasters and they keep blaming it on the "zoom" factor and technical problems and the like. It's because all these niche movies being nominated right now are "not for everyone." A general audience used to love many of the movies that win best film awards. Of late groups have been more into diversity voting, and perhaps movie making, than making films a large amount of people would embrace. This year movies seem to either be on the Superhero end of the spectrum or niche movies for certain tastes. And neither are meant for Best Picture awards. When people want to see movies, they want entertainment. The movies this year, with an exception or two, are not that entertaining.