Movie Reviews: 'Nomadland,' 'I Care A Lot' And 'Blithe Spirit'

This weekend, these three new releases are headed to theaters and streaming. First up is the neo-Western drama “Nomadland,” a story about itinerant Americans in their 60s who have chosen to pursue a life of mobility. The film stars Frances McDormand as a 61-year-old recent widow in search of a new life.

Looking for a darkly comical drama? Look no further than “I Care a Lot,” starring Rosamund Pike as a con artist who schemes to exploit the vulnerable for financial gain.

Finally, a new film adaptation of Noel Coward’s 1941 play comes to life in comedy fantasy “Blithe Spirit,” starring Dan Stevens as a famed novelist caught between two loves: his dead first wife (Leslie Mann) and his second wife (Isla Fisher).

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Here's what to see/stream and what to skip this weekend:

“Nomadland” — Frances McDormand, David Strathairn; directed by Chloé Zhao (Available in select theaters and streaming platforms)

Winner of Golden Lion at the 2020 Venice Film Festival, writer-director Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” explores the true-to-life experiences of itinerant Americans over 60 years old who have chosen to embrace a life of mobility following the economic collapse of 2008.

Based on Jessica Bruder’s 2017 nonfiction book, the neo-Western road drama captures the quintessentially restless American spirit through the eyes of Fern (Frances McDormand), a 61-year-old recent widow who embarks on a road trip to pursue a vagabond life after her small hometown has been dissolved.

On her journey, from the Badlands of South Dakota to the Nevada desert to the Pacific Northwest, Fern gains a new colorful life through the friendships she develops with fellow modern-day, van-traveling nomads.

See it: Insightful to the core, the film tackles existentialism with a big, genuine smile against the backdrop of the captivating beauty of the American West.

Watch the trailer:

“I Care a Lot” — Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Eiza González; directed by J Blakeson (Available on Netflix)

Greed and lack of empathy abound in J Blakeson’s darkly comical drama about a beguiling woman devoid of scruples. In the film, Rosamund Pike plays Marla Grayson, a con artist who preys upon the elderly people by exploiting them for financial gain.

Highly skilled in persuasion, Marla can easily convince judges to give her legal guardianship over elders who are deemed incapable of living independently. Once she has secured the elderly wards, Marla then places them in a care home, rendering them helpless and disconnected from the outside world. Finally, Marla and her lover, Fran (Eiza González), sell off the old folks’ assets and keep the cash for themselves.

The duo’s insidious operation is working down to a tee — that is, until when Marla has the mysterious wealthy Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest) committed to the assisted living facility. Could Jennifer be the missing mother of a local Russian drug lord (Peter Dinklage)?

Stream it: Pike’s performance is absolutely electrifying, though the movie is a tad too long.

Watch the trailer:

“Blithe Spirit” — Dan Stevens, Isla Fisher, Judi Dench; directed by Edward Hall (Available in select theaters and streaming platforms)

Loosely based on Noel Coward’s 1941 play, Edward Hall’s screen version follows the story of a socialite and novelist Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens), who is suffering from a dreadful bout of writer’s block. To get the creative juices going, he and his wife, Ruth (Isla Fisher), invite the eccentric spiritualist Madame Arcati (Judi Dench) into their house to perform a séance.

Regrettably, complications arise when the medium unwittingly summons the spirit of Charles’ temperamental first wife, Elvira (Leslie Mann), setting in motion an unexpected love triangle in the process. But wait! Charles is the only one who can see Elvira’s ghost.

Skip it. The script squanders the star-studded cast’s collective talent.

Watch the trailer: