Mark Webber is an actor known for his roles in Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Green Room. Outside of acting he is a filmmaker in his own rights, having written six features and directed five. The films that he makes always feel intensely intimate and personal to Webber, offering audiences a strange almost peek into his private life. Webber himself has coined the term ‘reality cinema’ to describe his works that, although fiction, have the sensations of documentary movies. His latest project – The Place of No Words – sees a slight shift from this style as it incorporates a lot of elements from the fantasy genre.
The Place with No Words occurs within two distinct and different worlds. In the first world, the ‘real world’, we meet young child Bodhi (played by Webber’s son Bodhi Palmer), his father Mark (played by Webber), and his mother Teresa (played by Webber’s wife and Bodhi’s mother, Teresa Palmer). The family are struggling to cope in the wake of Mark’s terminal illness and an air of dread and despair permeates the air. In the second world, the fantasy realm, we are introduced to a different version of both Bodhi and Mark. Here they are a father and son team of warriors who are on an epic quest. Along the way they meet angels, witches, and an enchanting candyland. Both stories play out parallel to one another and explore Bodhi’s internal and external interpretations of some very complex adult concepts.
By telling the narrative across two contrasting worlds Webber is able to let his creativity shine. Yes, the real world segments are kept muted and naturalistic, but in the fantasy world portion, the film well and truly bursts into life. Webber grew up a fan of the Jim Henson company and that inspiration is apparent in every frame of the fantasy world setting. There’s something very eighties family fantasy film about the look and feel to these segments that will invoke deep nostalgic pangs for those that grew up on a similar film diet. The Henson company actually helped out on the film, creating one of the strange groups of creatures that the warriors encounter. In this other world we get elements of Legend, Willow, and Dark Crystal, a nice swampy homage with a twist to Labyrinth, all coated in that serious tone of The Never Ending Story.
This is a film that clearly comes from a place deep within Webber, and his passion and vision is clear. His passion infects all those around him, and everyone, even those only in a scene or two, brings their A game. Most of the supporting cast are made up of Webber and Palmer’s close friends and the love that everyone shares plays out beautifully on screen. This closeness re-enforces the intimacy of the piece and makes the real world exchanges all the more impactful and emotional. The performance of the film however, is that of Bodhi Palmer. Quite how Webber has managed to get such an honest and truthful performance out of someone so junior (Bodhi was three and a half during production) is impressive. Those of us with children around the same age will know that they can be tricky to wrangle, and yet Bodhi is brilliant. The interactions between him and his real-life parents feels entirely natural, almost uncomfortably so sometimes; a strange voyeur sensation washes over the viewer on occasion. Parents of little ones will recognise a lot of the exchanges, one in particular involving the Milky Way and Uranus feels especially pure. This purity transforms into real pathos for the audience as it’s heartbreaking watching someone so young trying to come to terms with such complex ideas.
The Place of No Words is a film that will appeal to children, but it isn’t the happy-go-lucky, silly, and bright affair that mainstream kids films have become accustomed to. Instead this is a film that youngsters can enjoy, but one that treats them as a more mature and capable audience than other films give them credit for. Much like Never Ending Story, A Monster Calls, or Where the Wild Things Are, this is a movie that sees young characters battling with some very difficult and real concepts and situations. The difference here though is that our lead is much younger than the other films mentioned. By featuring one so young, Webber opens the audience up and gives families dealing with similar problems a film that their youngest can watch and absorb, hopefully helping them have discussions akin to those on screen.
As with his previous work, Webber proves himself to be naturally gifted both in front of and behind the camera. The truest example of a labour of love from all involved, The Place of No Words makes for a stunning watch. It is a film that is powerful, enchanting, uplifting, and heartbreaking simultaneously, The Place of No Words offers an emotional journey for all that embark on it.
Dazzler Media presents The Place of No Words on DVD & Digital from 5th July.
The Place of No Words
Summary
A beautifully realised, cleverly constructed film, that tackles some very intense topics in a sensitive and considered manner.
