Nowhere Special

It’s the quiet ones you need to look out for. 

Not dissimilar to our previously reviewed film Hive, Uberto Pasolini’s new feature Nowhere Special is a quiet story that shines in its most subtle humane moments. James Norton plays John, a single father who is already in the process of adopting out his four-year-old son Michael (Daniel Lamont), after learning he only has a few months to live.

There are no grand gestures here. We do not see John’s diagnosis. In fact, no word is even mentioned of what will eventually take his life, but one or two pausing moments hint at a possible brain tumour. We do not see the melodrama of a mother walking out on her son. There are no screaming matches, just conversations, sometimes even without words. 

We are immediately thrown into the nuanced moments of a man coming to terms with death while trying to gently guide his son into a new life. John’s determination to make their last days together worthwhile, and improbably memorable, for Michael are touching and heartbreaking. We sit through numerous potential parent interviews – some that blend well with the delicate nature of the film, and some that don’t. And while some of these momentarily distract, it’s the little scenes between John and Michael where Nowhere Special truly blossoms. 

007-hopeful Norton has a stripped-back presence with little dialogue, most of what he has to say channelling through the pain behind his eyes. His young counterpart Lamont is an absolute natural in front of the camera, and you can see the trust and warmth between him and Norton. Their scenes together are beaming with love, despair and frustration; Norton with death and Lamont with his inability to comprehend what is going on around him. It is a truly wonderful pairing and Pasolini couldn’t have found a better choice in casting Michael. 

Nowhere Special is a rare gem where the beauty lies in the details. This is not a cancer film. Or a last-supper tale. Or a defying-the-odds saga. It is a simple story of the love between father and son, no matter how little time is provided to them, and the heartbreaking realities that life can throw at you. A birthday cake scene – where both interpret a single candle being handed from son to father in very different ways – will definitely need to come with a tissue warning. As will where this film takes you. A few minor bumps in the road don’t deter from how wonderfully shot and well-acted this film is.  

Contrary to what its title suggests, Nowhere Special is quite the opposite. It takes you somewhere remarkable and may make you hug your loved ones a little tighter after viewing. 

4/5

Nowhere Special
In cinemas now
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