Critics, Don’t Forget James Norton’s Powerful Performance in ‘Nowhere Special’ This Year — An Open Letter from Its Director

Editor’s note: “Nowhere Special,” distributed by Cohen Media Group, is one of the most moving new films U.S. audiences could see in 2024. The story of a terminally ill father on a search for a family to adopt his toddler son is profoundly emotional without being manipulative. One of the best reviewed movies of the year, including by IndieWire’s Digital Director Christian Blauvelt, who said “it will absolutely destroy you,” it currently holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. But because it premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2020 and was held for distribution until this year, it’s ineligible for Oscars consideration due to an Academy rule that says it would have had to premiere at a festival after January 1, 2023. Its director, Uberto Pasolini, argues below why it should still be on your radar regardless. Pasolini’s next film, “The Return,” a riff on “The Odyssey” starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, opens December 6.

Dear film critics,

The award season is upon you, and I imagine you will be busy reminding yourself of the films you have loved over the last 11 months and the performances that have confirmed your belief in the power of cinema to shed a light on what it is to be human.

Some performances remain unforgettable as they loudly embody extraordinary situations or characters larger than life. Others speak to you in whispers, sharing our common humanity with the power of simple truths.

I would love to grab your attention for a minute to remind you of one such performance, that of James Norton in a little film called “Nowhere Special.”

I have been on film sets in various capacities for over 40 years, and have watched and admired the work of Oscar-winning actors at the very moment it was performed for the camera.

Yet never before have I witnessed the extraordinary mix of power, understatement, and generosity that guided James’ performance on our set.

Shedding his matinee idol looks for those of a working-class man at the end of his short life, James drew inspiration from real events and imbued the character of a father protecting his young son from a terrible reality with such subtlety, depth, and honesty that it was hard for the crew around him to contain their emotions.

With the kind of generosity seldom seen on film sets, James dedicated all his energies in creating a safe world around Daniel [Lamont], the young actor playing his son, allowing the boy to upstage him in the search for the truth in those last precious moments father and son shared. It wasn’t words that moved us, or histrionic tears, but the ability to convey the power of love in the simplest and most naked way. It was an honor to be part of that journey.

“Nowhere Special” is not eligible for a number of awards, as its U.S. distributor released it three years after it was completed.

But I hope this should not stop you from recognizing James’ work however and wherever you can.

Uberto Pasolini, Filmmaker