Nowhere Special Reviews (original) (raw)
Summary John, a 35-year-old window cleaner, has dedicated his life to bringing up his 4-year-old son, Michael, after the child's mother left them soon after giving birth. When John is given only a few months left to live, he attempts to find a new, perfect family for Michael, determined to shield him from the terrible reality of the situation. A...
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Summary John, a 35-year-old window cleaner, has dedicated his life to bringing up his 4-year-old son, Michael, after the child's mother left them soon after giving birth. When John is given only a few months left to live, he attempts to find a new, perfect family for Michael, determined to shield him from the terrible reality of the situation. A...
Heart-wrenching, humane and humble, this is something very, very special indeed.
The mostly low-key mode of Nowhere Special is the right one. Norton is spectacular, but little Lamont delivers one of those uncanny performances that doesn’t seem like acting, and makes you feel for the kid almost as much as his onscreen parent does.
There are so many ways to go wrong with this story, which we are told was inspired by an unidentified real father and son. Writer/director Uberto Pasolini does not let that happen, relying on the most ordinary details to take on greater and greater weight.
Nowhere Special is a tender story of a life which is ending and another which is beginning.
Ultimately, what keeps Nowhere Special from being nothing special is the film’s delicacy, its unfussy simplicity, its perceptiveness. The empathy it brings to one man’s crushing decision makes this an affecting portrait of parental devotion.
Norton is wonderful in the role, lending it a vulnerability that shines through the stoic nature of a man doing his best to show no fear.
It’s tender and poignant, but might be a bit cloying were it not for Norton, who underplays it beautifully with a performance of tremendous depth and empathy.
Mən çox sevdim. I liked. Superdir. This is super..............................
James Norton consegue não apenas manter a expressão desesperador em que se encontra, como também consegue evoluir na melancolia latente de seu personagem: com a mãe que abandonara a família e sofrendo de uma doença degenerativa, com sua sentença de morte sendo questão de tempo, como um limpador de janelas garantirá um futuro melhor pro seu pequeno filho? A criança, um doce de menino, é todo o arquétipo de fofura e ternura para nos fazer emocionar, e de fato o filme consegue. Impossível não querer segurar aquela criança no colo, e por isso o filme usa e abusa das cenas fofas entre os dois, como o simples ato de atravessar a rua ou de ler uma história para o filho antes de dormir. Cada quadro é pensado para uma aproximação meiga aos dois. Contudo, essa construção torna-se, até certo ponto, manipulativa, e contrasta de forma bem maniqueísta com os pais adotivos em potencial, um casal pra lá de estereotipados. Com isso, o filme quase nos faz suspender a imersão, mas ainda bem que a dupla de pai e filho tem um carisma tão absurdo, e o roteiro tem momentos de tamanha sensibilidade, que a emoção não se esvai, e o filme vai nos corroendo por dentro. Muito tocante e emocionante retrato de um pai com seu filho, numa situação quase de condenação mesmo. Lindo demais.
Production Company Redwave Films, Picomedia, Digital Cube, Avanpost, Rai Cinema, Eurimages, Romanian National Center for Cinematography, Northern Ireland Screen
Release Date Apr 26, 2024
Duration 1 h 36 m
Pula Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
Valladolid International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Warsaw International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination