John (Norton), 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. John’s cancer diagnosis propels him into a search for the perfect family to bring up his son.
And so begins a series of encounters with potential adopters. Set in contemporary Belfast with a fantastic cast of unknowns, the film really succeeds via the chemistry between Norton and Daniel Lamont who plays the son.
Although this sounds like a slog through somebody’s misery, ‘Nowhere Special’ is never melodramatic or heavy-handed but an intimate and touching character study. That said, you ought to bring the tissues.