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The Son's Room 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Nanni Moretti
R, 98 min. (language, sexuality) |
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Starring: Nanni Moretti, Laura Morante, Jasmine Trinca, Giuseppe Sanfelice, Sofia Vigliar
Producers: Angelo Barbagallo, Nanni Moretti
Screenplay: Nanni Moretti
Cinematography: Giuseppe Lanci
Distributor: Miramax Films
Released: 2.01.02 (Limited)
(In Italian with subtitles) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
In the past year movie enthusiasts have been treated to three powerful motion pictures dealing with the loss of a loved one
and the effects that linger long after they're gone - François Ozon's Under the Sand, Todd Field's In the Bedroom, and
now Nanni Moretti's astonishing The Son's Room. Winner of the Palm D'Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2001, The
Son's Room deals with emotional devastation on the simplest of levels, yet also at the deepest, darkest corners of a
tortured soul that is inconsolable. While Bedroom turned its hurt into calculated revenge, this film soaks in misery and
only slowly finds catharsis with the passage of time. The brilliance of Moretti's film is the way he pays special attention to
the small, intricate moments that accompany's a devastating loss. Instead of highlighting only major instances of grief,
he insightfully shows the audience the slower, more painful moments that dominate the seemingly endless mourning period.
The Son's Room reveals its power slowly over the course of the storyline, so much so that you hardly notice it; however,
when the end credits roll, it hits home with a lasting impression.
Moretti doubles as the film's star, Giovanni, a successful psychiatrist who has a loving wife, Paola (Laura Morante), and two
appreciative teenage children, Andrea (Giuseppe Sanfelice) and Irene (Jasmine Trinca). He works out his home, runs every
morning, and spends a lot of time with his children. Their family is picture perfect. However, when Andrea suddenly
dies in a diving accident, Giovanni, Paola, and Irene are shocked and devastated. A once close family, the three remaining
members retreat into their own private corners to grieve. The problem comes when it's time to bring catharsis to the
sudden tragedy.
Moretti is careful to show us each character and their own private world of loss. Although Giovanni garners most of the screen
time, both Paola and Irene are sufficiently visited from time to time. This is where the film shines. Moretti captures the
intricate moments of grief and remembrance such as the personal phone calls to friends and relatives, sending letters to
those that attend the funeral, and frequent visits to Andrea's room, which has remained untouched since his death. Like
In the Bedroom, Moretti chooses to show the difficulty of letting go through the parents' individual memories of Andrea
through items in his room. While Giovanni imagines what might have happened had Andrea gone running with him instead
of diving with his friends, Paola begins an investigation into Andrea's mysterious love life when a letter from a summer fling
arrives in the mail. Eventually, they will meet the girl, and through her, will find a fragment of catharsis for their loss.
Giovanni's practice begins unraveling when he confronts his own feelings towards his patients during their sessions with him.
At times, he's constrained and resolute in his suffering; at others, he breaks down in uncontrollable sobs. One of his patients,
who called him for help on the morning of Andrea's death, senses the anger that is directed at him from Giovanni and opts
out of further visits. His other patients also notice the coarseness and distance he puts between them and his work.
Eventually Giovanni quits his practice, which sends one of his more vulnerable patients into a rampage of uncontrolled anger.
But he realizes that he's no use to anyone until he brings closure to Andrea's life.
Although The Son's Room has adequate plot points, they are not important. Moretti has chosen to tell his story through
the eyes of his characters - a wise decision. In films such as this, plot-driven vehicles are sure to miss the entire purpose
of telling a story of grief. Instead, this film presents its characters first, then moves them around a simple, uncomplicated
plot. This gives Moretti the freedom to explore his characters with varying levels of depth, with great success. It's a
wonderfully-crafted picture, and it touches the audience in unexpected ways in its final act.
The Son's Room correctly ends on an ambiguous note, with a shot of the family walking on a beach at dawn. They'd just
driven cross-country on an impromptu good Samaritan mission for Andrea's former girlfriend and are restrained in
their words. In fact, they say nothing at all. It's here that the family begins its healing, for better or worse. Whether or
not they ever again share the intimacy they once had together is unclear, but their willingness to be open to the
possibility is a reassuring conclusion to a brilliant but somber motion picture. We empathize with them because Moretti has given
us reason to care.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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