“Where do we go when we die?” – an innocent yet complicated question. How does one explain that to a three year old? That and more is explored in the heartfelt, tragic and fantastical story of Mark Webber’s The Place Of No Words.
Akin to the likes of A Monster Calls or Where The Wild Things Are, the story centers around coming to terms with impending loss and the grief surrounding that, but there are several things that set Webber’s film apart from its peers.
Firstly, it stars Webber himself alongside his real life wife Teresa Palmer and their superstar scene stealing son Bodhi, and the three use their real names for their onscreen characters. This creates a raw, grounding and realistic chemistry between them which works extremely well. Moreover, the narrative is primarily told through the perspective of Bodhi and how he and his mind are coming to terms with his father’s illness.
As the two of them set off on one final adventure together, we see a fantastical world filled with Vikings, Fairies and creatures called Grumbles as Bodhi holds onto that special bond as we, as the audience, occasionally flick back to reality as Teresa deals with Mark’s deteriorating condition.
A fractured narrative technique rarely works but with the centre point of the child’s mind being the driving force, the film benefits from this structure. However the only downside is at times towards the final act, the pacing hits a bit of a stumbling block.
With a powerful, family driven story with unrivalled chemistry and some gorgeous cinematography, The Place Of No Words is a special, heartfelt and gut-punching emotional rollercoaster of a family’s bond in the face of tragedy seen through the incomparable imagination of a child embracing the realities of life.
The Place Of No Words is out on DVD and VOD now.
