The Hollywood Reporter's review of "Place to Be," directed by Kornél Mundruczó, gives a mixed but largely warm verdict on this offbeat road movie starring Ellen Burstyn, Taika Waititi and Pamela Anderson. The film centres on Burstyn's 93-year-old performance as its main draw, though the reviewer finds the story sentimental and occasionally overwrought, comparing it to a mix of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and "Harold and Maude." After premiering out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, it is expected to head to streaming rather than a wide cinema release.

The plot follows Burstyn's widowed character, Brooke, who discovers a stray racing pigeon in her Chicago flat and sets off to return it to its owner in New York, teaming up along the way with Waititi's down-on-his-luck real estate agent, Nelson. The reviewer praises Burstyn's chemistry with Waititi and a standout improvised monologue, but criticises heavy-handed CGI in the pigeon sequences and a "cringey" turn towards romance in the third act, shot in Australia despite being set on the New Jersey Shore. Burstyn's Venice trip also included a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement and a supporting role in Maggie Gyllenhaal's short film "Flesh Impact."