< A dying father looks for the perfect family to adopt his son in 'Nowhere Special'

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British actor James Norton stars in the BBC crime series "Happy Valley," and he's also on many a shortlist to be the next James Bond. But critic Bob Mondello says Norton's new father-son film, "Nowhere Special," finds him in a gentler, more vulnerable place.

BOB MONDELLO, BYLINE: John is a window washer in Belfast, going about his trade so unobtrusively you'd never notice him if the camera weren't turned his way. But there's a reason it's turned his way.

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JAMES NORTON: (As John) This is the biggest decision of my life. Don't they understand? Don't you?

MONDELLO: John has just a few months to live, which is made doubly challenging because John has a 4-year-old son, Michael. His decision, in tandem with the social services folks he's talking to, is about what happens next.

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NORTON: (As John) It's not about me wanting to be right. It's...

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) I do understand. That's why I'm here.

MONDELLO: Michael's mother abandoned them shortly after he was born, and with no other family members, John must now find his toddler a new family. And he's full of doubts.

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NORTON: (As John) It's Michael. I always thought that I knew him. I mean, I do, I do. You know, he's my son. But do I know him, really know him, you know, enough for this?

MONDELLO: The social services team has lists of folks who are eager to adopt, among them a postman and his wife who have adopted before...

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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) Your child will be part of a big family.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #3: (As character) Real people that respect you. Not people who talk down to you, know what I mean, John?

MONDELLO: ...A chilly transactional household that feels all wrong...

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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #4: (As character) Doesn't really look like his photo, does he? - or you. Does he look like the mother?

MONDELLO: ...A wealthy couple who could offer Michael things John couldn't...

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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #5: (As character) Does he like nature? We're very outdoorsy people. We like to go for long walks, as you can see.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #6: (As character) And of course we can afford the best education for our son. I mean, your son.

MONDELLO: ...All while James Norton's quietly devastated John is trying to figure out what he can possibly say to Michael as every moment grows more precious.

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NORTON: (As John) Would you like to live somewhere else, in a different time, different home?

DANIEL LAMONT: (As Michael) I like home.

MONDELLO: Played by a doe-eyed Daniel Lamont, Michael seems to sense that something's amiss, and, heartbreakingly, his instinct is to reassure and comfort, using his own blanket to cover daddy when he's resting on the couch and turning pages at story time.

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NORTON: (As John) He gave his dad a little wave. Page. And when he reached the other side, his father's heart was full of pride.

MONDELLO: Writer-director Uberto Pasolini lets all of this play out without grandstanding. The filmmaker doesn't embellish. We don't even hear what illness afflicts John. We just see things through his eyes, a window washer's eyes. He's used to catching glimpses through glass of worlds he'll never enter. But to have his son's future be like that? The ache is enormous, even as he finds the words Michael needs and a safe harbor just as his window for decision-making starts to close.

I'm Bob Mondello.

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