259. Nowhere Special; movie review
Cert 12A
92 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, upsetting scenes
I doubt that there will be a more moving film this year than Nowhere Special.
So, if you want to douse yourself in this huge dollop of reality, you might want to have a box of tissues nearby.
Uberto Pasolini's movie is quiet but devastatingly effective as it follows the tragic story of John (James Norton) a terminally ill thirtysomething.
John is a single parent who is searching, with the help of social services, for a family to care for his son, Michael (Daniel Lamont) after he has passed.
Life has dealt him a cruel hand - he has come through the fostering system himself and his wife walked out and returned to Russia.
He is now facing death without family to take his son and so wants to know that he will be in good hands.
Nowhere Special flips between the daily life of a dad and young boy and their visits to families who want to adopt.
The variety of potential parents is huge, both in terms of attitudes and financial standing.
After a particularly strange meeting, John explodes that he wouldn't even give the couple a rabbit, let alone his son.
Norton gives a heartrending performance as John. Believable in every way, as he delicately decides on how to handle his son in his last months while trying to do the best for his future.
The key component which Pasolini alights upon is class and John's unsaid misgivings about Michael going to a family which is neither what he perceives as above or beneath him.
He also hits hard at the methods used by social services to give green light to those who wish to adopt. The clear impression is that beggars can't be choosers.
We marvelled at how Pasolini managed to inspire Lamont to be so convincing in the role of Michael despite being only four years old.
It is a key element to one of the films of the year so far.
Reasons to watch: Compelling story with great performances
Reasons to avoid: Upsetting scenes
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 9/10
Did you know? James Norton would often visit Belfast and spend time playing with toys in Daniel Lamont's home. He said Daniel would visit the set and be excited to act alongside him because of it.
The final word. Uberto Pasolini: "I was also interested in why people adopt and the way they get to make these decisions. I read tons of material, interviewed people, and it’s like a marriage sometimes – you like somebody or you don’t. Of course, they are checked out by the agencies, so they aren’t bad people, but they are different people motivated by different reasons." Cineuropa
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