I don't know how people sit down and crank out multiple paragraphs on films after every watch. I'd constantly be backlogged. Credit to whoever can do it, though!
Minari
A film with wonderful intentions that comes off flat. It still gets high marks from me, because I love a meditative drama with lots of pretty colors. However, I can't help feeling that I witnessed a lot of important moments without much in the way of editing skill. For such a subtle, quiet film, there are several plot lines that need following, and there isn't much in the way of transitions. It felt a bit like Tigertail in this respect, we're moving from beautiful shot to beautiful shot without getting a beautiful whole. I actually think there could be a three-hour cut out there where the director just sits and ponders this lovely piece of land in the middle of nowhere a little more, and uses its power to take us far more gracefully from one shot to the next. It will seem like a weird criticism to someone perhaps more accustomed to briskly shot and edited pieces, but I value letting the camera roll a little more and cutting a little less, especially in a piece like this.
Nomadland
This one also noticeably cuts more than I might want in a film of this quality, but here, it works. Zhao may flood us with images of Fern in her simple, often mundane activities, but her collage of images always lead us to an actual scene that matters. Character development here is impeccable, utilizing every person we come across to let us know, through words and reactions, just a little more of this person whose whole life was upended when the world she lived in just about literally ceased to exist. It's a delicate story, because we could easily come out more sympathetic than empathetic, but the writing and McDormand's performance are restrained enough to prevent that from ever happening. She's prickly, but hopeful, stubborn and resourceful. McDormand just channels her in one of the more impressive performance you'll see. Loved it.