#PeterSpears

[elemental-pea]

Released in the US on November 24, 2017. I wouldn’t learn about it until a couple weeks later, but I’ve been obsessed with it ever since. It’s the most perfect and stunning film I’ve ever seen, and I’ll be forever grateful to everyone involved for making it. Timmy and Armie are magic as Elio and Oliver, and they’ve dominated my brain ever since...and I’ll probably be in love with Elio and @tchalamet for the rest of my life. . . . #callmebyyourname #callmebyyournamemovie #cmbyn #cmbynfilm #cmbynmovie #lucaguadagnino #jamesivory #timothéechalamet #timotheechalamet #armiehammer #michaelstuhlbarg #amiracasar #vandacapriolo #esthergarrel #victoiredubois #antoniorimoldi #brianswardstrom #peterspears #andreaciman #andréaciman #sufjanstevens https://www.instagram.com/p/CH-rqYvA-Pk/?igshid=1o601ghjby5lx

[nospoilerreviews]

With poverty gradually stripping away Fern's past, Nomadland becomes a sober reflection on what it is to be old in rural America. https://is.gd/ETKVpV

[doomonfilm]

Review : Nomadland (2021)

It’s award season, and like many others, I’ve found myself scrambling to play catch-up in order to make educated guesses on who will bring home the gold.  One of the big names in the pack is Chloé Zhao’s third film, the deeply personal magnum opus that is Nomadland, and recently, it touched down at Hulu, and therefore, it jumped very high up my list of priority films.

Fern (Frances McDormand) is a recent widow living in Empire, Nevada, a town that recently found itself all but shut down when the jobs left.  With her options limited, Fern takes what’s valuable to her, sells the rest, and begins living out of her van.  She finds a seasonal job with Amazon, but once it comes to an end, Fern travels to Arizona at the recommendation of her friend Linda (Linda May) for a desert gathering of others living the nomadic lifestyle.  Under the tutelage of Bob (Bob Wells), the community trades resources and education, and Fern befriends Swankie (Charlene Swankie), a terminally ill nomad who helps Fern out of a jam before she leaves to end her life in Alaska.  Fern eventually meets David (David Straitharn), a fellow nomad haunted by his past, and the pair form a bond as they help one another survive and thrive.  As times get tough, Fern not only learns valuable lessons about survival, but also learns the value of finding others that she can depend on.

Nomadland smartly wraps up what should be a documentary into the form of a fictional narrative, but this stylized presentation takes nothing away from the testimonials of the working poor that Nomadland focuses on and lifts up.  Outside of Frances McDormand’s Fern, all of the cast (professional and non-professional) either use their actual names or some close approximation, which removes all of the airs and formality that normally surround acting to the benefit of realness.  The way that the film cherishes the concept of community is stunning in its positivity and understanding of its necessity, and if audiences take nothing else away from the film, hopefully they leave with a deeper sense of how valuable community is.

One of the uncredited stars of this film is the United States, specifically the outskirts of traditional society that are captured in all of their tremendous glory.  The classification of the film as a Western seems odd prior to viewing the film, but it’s the very dependency on the land and in self that gives the film that Western spirit.  The land in which the characters inhabit is giving nothing but the utmost respect, both in terms of glorifying it and understanding how easy it is to become victim to it if you’re unprepared or lack resourcefulness.  The Western spirit also presents itself in the nomadic nature of the characters, with nobody settling long enough to make roots in any one area.

The use of long lenses and natural lighting pulls us into the reality of Fern’s journey by capturing the vastness of the unknown that lies before her, be it with her temporary job at Amazon or her nomadic lifestyle.  Chloé Zhao’s roles as writer, director, producer and editor shows in terms of the deliberate pacing that captures life as a series of moments rather than a list of tasks that must be accomplished in order to find validation.  While not necessarily an aspect of production, there is an underlying joy in this film that can be found in several areas, be it the aforementioned sense of community, the way the characters embrace their reality, or the greater sense of achievement that comes with making a film that showcases people who are often invisible to the populous.

Frances McDormand turns on her natural ability to inhabit any thematic space she is placed in as if she has always existed there, capturing every nuance of those who live off of the land without turning it into an acting exercise or cartoonish version of reality.  David Strathairn brings a carefree spirit to the film that encapsulates the essence of the drifter, and as a result, the sense of despair one believes they should feel is softened by his infectious presence.  In terms of the non-actors, talking about them in terms of “performances” seems disingenuous, but Chloé Zhao manages to capture the best aspect of each of these people : Linda May’s caring nature, Swankie’s iron will and determination in the face of mortality, Bob Wells’ wealth of knowledge and kind-hearted efforts to spread it and a host of others all stand out in this deeply moving film.  Supporting appearances by Tay Strathairn, Derek Endres, Cat Clifford, Peter Spears, Brandy Wilber and many more bring the cast of characters and real people to life.

Nomadland is up for four Golden Globe awards, and it’s almost certainly a shoo-in for Frances McDormand to garner another acting award, but the competition in the technical awards is quite stiff.  That being said, don’t be surprised if Chloé Zhao ends award season with a much higher profile, and possibly even an award or two of her own, because her work on Nomadland certainly deserves recognition.

[geoffreystein]

If you want to get out of the city, it's worth the trip to see 'No Parking: The Alleys and Garages of Hudson @Hudson_Opera-House through Feb 19th. Currated by Lisa Durfee it features work by William Hellerman, Peter Spear and Durfee, shot over the last 20 years. . . @fiveanddiamond #PeterSpear #WilliamHellerman #hudson #hudsonny #hudsonvalley #photography #alley #garage

[ccontrollari-blog]

you taught me something i will always be thankful at least as long as i’m alive. maybe even in heaven i will still be thankful; you taught me how to love. never in the past 20 years i knew what this feeling was like. it was great watching movies showing it, reading books that described it, listening songs about it; love. wondering when would be my turn, dreaming about it every night. now my heart is full of it, and instead of dreaming about love, i dream about you. i listen to songs, memorize the lyrics so i can sing them to you. all the poems i wrote and kept it to myself, now i write them for you; you’re obviously the inspiration. you’re the best part of my day; you make the butterflies on my stomach alive. never a name was so repeated in my head, trust me. so here’s to you. and cheers to us. who knew this would happen; no one. not even ourselves. but trust me, never in my life i was so sure about something like i’m sure about you and about us. i’m in love with you. you’re my boyfriend and my bestfriend. we share the same interests. we connect everyday. and everyday you teach me a new way of loving you and baby, no one can ever replace you. thank you. for being the best, for being here. for taking care of me, for making me smile. for sharing. for staying. for understanding, for everything. but mostly, for loving me and accepting my love for you. i know promises ain’t forever but i’m a keeper so i promise to keep you. to take care of you. to protect you. to save you; and to love you. forever until we’re alive, and still when we meet in heaven.

my heaven even, peterspeare, masterpiece, everything.

i love you with all my heart.

sincerily, for you. @yourxevanpeters

[ccontrollari-blog]

You are very special and that’s why you need to float with lots of smiles on your lovely face. Happy Birthday, Shakepeariana. :) x

thank ya so much baby peterspeare ❤️ x

[ccontrollari-blog]

Whoever is wasting their breath hurting my friend needs to leave. This isn't funny. It's so childlike and immature of you.

thank you, peterspeare. ❤