Frances McDormand in “Nomadland”
By Dana Simpson
TV Media
“Nomadland” (2020)
Take this time during the pandemic
to reflect on what life means to you
and learn about the other ways
people are living in America as “No-
madland” comes to Hulu on Friday,
Feb. 19. Starring two-time Academy
Award winner Frances McDormand
(“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,
Missouri,” 2017) as Fern, a rural
Nevada woman who lost her job,
her house and her husband during
the Great Recession and decided
to get a new lease on life as a no-
mad. Packing her bags into a van
and setting out across the country,
Fern accepts whatever work she
can find, earning funds to support
herself and her nomadic life before
moving on to the next town and a
new job. Based on Jessica Bruder’s
acclaimed 2017 non-fiction book,
“Nomadland: Surviving America
in the Twenty-First Century,” this
visually stunning film explores the
economics, physical struggles and
emotional whiplash of living a
nomadic lifestyle in today’s day and
age. Also featuring real-life nomads
Linda May, Charlene Swankie and
Bob Wells (“Without Bound —
Perspectives on Mobile Living,”
2014) as fictionalized versions of
themselves, “Nomadland” was
written, directed, co-produced and
edited by award-winning Chinese
filmmaker Chloé Zhao (“The Rider,”
2017).
“Logan Lucky” (2017)
Brace yourself for a big-time
heist as “Logan Lucky” joins the
Hulu roster on Monday, Feb. 15.
From Steven Soderbergh, director
of the Magic Mike franchise, and
writer Rebecca Blunt (aka actress
Jules Asner, “Jay and Silent Bob
Strike Back,” 2001), comes the
story of two down-on-their-luck
brothers, Jimmy (Channing
Tatum, “White House Down,”
2013) and Clyde Logan (Adam
Driver, “Marriage Story,” 2019),
who see no other solution to
their misfortunes than to pull off
a heist during a NASCAR race in
North Carolina. Coming up with
a plan to rob the Charlotte Motor
Speedway of the large sums of
cash coming in during the Coca-
Cola 600, the Logan brothers
turn to their sister, Mellie (Riley
Keough, “It Comes at Night,”
2017), and an unhinged incarcer-
ated vault breaker named Joe
Bang (Daniel Craig, “Casino
Royale,” 2006) for help. Together
the group will attempt to reset
their lives with their newly stolen
fortune and prove to themselves
that they are not the simple-
minded buffoons that everyone
took them for. This action comedy
plays host to an all-star cast,
including Seth MacFarlane
(“Family Guy”), Sebastian Stan
(“Captain America: The Winter
Soldier,” 2014), Hilary Swank
(“Million Dollar Baby,” 2004),
Katie Holmes (“Batman Begins,”
2005) and Brian Gleeson (“Phan-
tom Thread,” 2017).
Yaniv Shulman in “Catfish”
“The Shape of Water” (2017)
By Dana Simpson
TV Media
If you are still feeling the Val-
entine’s Day love from this past
weekend, or perhaps if you’re
hoping to recapture it, why not
switch over to Hulu on Wednes-
day, Feb. 17, and witness the
unorthodox love story in the four-
time Academy Award-winning
film “The Shape of Water”? Di-
rected by the master of beautiful
and horrific storytelling, Guillermo
del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” 2006),
and co-written by del Toro and
Vanessa Taylor (“Divergent,”
2014), this romantic, science-
fiction-infused film follows Elisa
Esposito (Sally Hawkins, “Blue
Jasmine,” 2013), the lonely janitor
of a scientific laboratory in 1960s
Cold War-era America. When Elisa
and her co-worker, Zelda (Octavia
Spencer, “The Help,” 2011), stum-
ble upon a bizarre experiment in a
top-secret area of the facility, Elisa
becomes more deeply enamored
with the strange amphibian-like
man in captivity with every visit
she makes to his pen. A gorgeous,
heart-stopping account of each
living creature’s capacity for love,
“The Shape of Water” also stars
Michael Shannon (“Knives Out,”
2019), Richard Jenkins (“Burn
After Reading,” 2008), Michael
Stuhlbarg (“Boardwalk Empire”)
and Doug Jones (“Star Trek: Dis-
covery”).
“Catfish” (2010)
Be a fly on the wall for the begin-
ning of a new relationship as
“Catfish” joins the Prime lineup
on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Described as
“not based on a true story,” “not
inspired by true events” and “just
true,” this independent docu-
mentary film follows Yaniv “Nev”
Shulman (“Nobody’s Fool,” 2018)
as his brother and best friend,
co-directors Ariel “Rel” Shulman
(“Paranormal Activity 3,” 2011)
and Henry Joost (“Project Power,”
2020), respectively, create a video
chronicle of his budding cyber
relationship with a young woman
named Megan Faccio, whom
he met online. Rel, Henry and
the viewers get to know Megan
through the same information as
Nev: a series of Facebook photos,
linked family member profiles and
information shared via the inter-
net and text message. While Nev
appears delighted to have met
Megan — a young woman whom
he knows as an attractive dancer,
artist and all-around sensitive
soul — and after a short amount
of time they begin to call each
other by pet names through text
and telephone calls, the film foot-
age goes behind the scenes to tell
another story — one much more
sinister. A real-life suspense thriller,
“Catfish” exposes the dangers of
today’s society in the most eerily
entertaining and terrifying way
imaginable.
“Sonic the Hedgehog”
(2020)
Get supersonic with this film
reboot of the classic Sega video
game character in Paramount
Pictures’ action comedy “Sonic
the Hedgehog.” Coming to Prime
on Thursday, Feb. 18, the partially
animated live-action-adventure
film follows Sonic (Ben Schwartz,
“Parks and Recreation”), a super
speedy, blue, alien hedgehog, as
he works to make Earth his new
home. Taking up residence in a
garage belonging to an ordinary
man named Tom (James Marsden,
“27 Dresses,” 2008), Sonic and
Tom forge an unlikely bond as
they try to fight off and escape the
sinister Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey,
“Bruce Almighty,” 2003) and his
technologically advanced army of
minions and drones trying to take
over the world. Also starring Tika
Sumpter (“Mixed-ish”), Natasha
Rothwell (“Insecure”), Adam
Pally (“Dirty Grandpa,” 2016) and
Lee Majdoub (“The 100”), this
family-friendly film was directed
by “Where the Wild Things Are”
(2009) animation developer Jeff
Fowler.
“The Warrior Queen of
Jhansi” (2019)
Find your inspiration and learn to
fight for what you believe with the
action-packed film “The Warrior
Queen of Jhansi,” coming to Prime
on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Considered to
be one of the fiercest feminists and
national figures of her time, this
film tells a version of the story of
Lakshmibai (portrayed by Devika
Bhise, “The Man Who Knew Infin-
ity,” 2015), the Rani of Jhansi, who
defended her Indian state from the
British East India Company during
a mutiny in the mid-19th century.
Sometimes referred to as the Joan
of Arc of India, the young queen
trained women to fight as war-
riors in a vicious army against the
colonial strong-arming of Queen
Victoria (played by Johdi May, “The
Last of the Mohicans,” 1992) and
her monarchy, the British govern-
ment and their East India Company.
Through many legends — spoken,
filmed, written or otherwise —
Rani Lakshmibai remains a symbol
of strength, feminism, commitment
and leadership in India and all over
the world today. Directed by Swati
Bhise (“A New Christmas,” 2019),
“The Warrior Queen of Jhansi”
also stars Rupert Everett (“My Best
Friend’s Wedding,” 1997), Milind
Gunaji (“Devdas,” 2002), Derek
Jacobi (“Gladiator,” 2000) and
Arif Zakaria (“My Name is Khan,”
2010).
East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald | February 17, 2021
Screentime | 5