As two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand walks across the screen, her small frame a lonely figure against the ochres, mauves and steels of a sweeping desert backdrop, it's clear no one else could have played this role. Whether it's the grand landscape shots or the penetrating close-ups, McDormand seems completely one with the deep humanity in Nomadland, a triumphant movie from director and screenwriter Chloe Zhao. Zhao's thoughtful balance of majesty and intimacy makes Nomadland one of the most accomplished films of the year, an emotional tour de force that moves you but never imposes or manipulates.