The Son's Room
2001
Nanni Moretti's extraordinary drama THE SON'S ROOM, which won the Palme D'Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, tells the harrowing story of a once tight-knit, happy family having to come to terms with a devastating loss and get on with their lives. Nanni Moretti, the writer-director of the charming CARO DIARIO, which was based .. Read more
| Starring | Nanni Moretti, Laura Morante, Jasmine Trinca, Silvio Orlando |
|---|---|
| Director | Nanni Moretti |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
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The Son's Room
Nanni Moretti's extraordinary drama THE SON'S ROOM, which won the Palme D'Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, tells the harrowing story of a once tight-knit, happy family having to come to terms with a devastating loss and get on with their lives. Nanni Moretti, the writer-director of the charming CARO DIARIO, which was based on his own life, has created this piece of fiction from scratch, but he nails it so well it is hard to believe it is not a documentary. Moretti, who not only stars in and directs the film but is also cowriter and coproducer, plays Giovanni, a happily married man with two wonderful children; he is also a psychoanalyst with a group of patients both hysterical and sad. He enjoys running through the streets of Ancona, but when he opts to make a rare house call one Sunday morning instead of going for a run with his son, tragedy strikes, and he can't help blaming himself and his choices. He starts having trouble listening to and caring about his patients, and he also distances himself from his wife, played magnificently by Laura Morante. One of the underlying themes of the film is the need to make--and break--scheduled appointments that threaten to overtake one's life with its potential for compulsive obsession; as Giovanni dreams of past scenes playing out differently, he can't help but think that if he had rearranged his schedule based on the importance and necessity of his appointments, his idyllic world might not have been turned upside down.
| Starring | Nanni Moretti, Laura Morante, Jasmine Trinca, Silvio Orlando, Stefano Accorsi, Claudi Della Seta, Guiseppe Sanfelice, Sofia Vigliar |
|---|---|
| Director | Nanni Moretti |
| Studio | MOMENTUM PICTURES |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 40 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
| Language | Italian |
| Subtitles | English |
| Released | DVD: 27 Jan 2003 Production year: 2001 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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Rarely has the raw subject of bereavement been so brilliantly portrayed than here in director Nanni Moretti's heart-wrenching account of how a provincial, middle-class family copes with the death of a child. The deserved winner of the 2001 Palme d'Or at Cannes, Moretti's pitch-perfect tragedy is almost unbearably moving and rings undeniably true. On a day he's supposed to spend with his son Andrea (Giuseppe Sanfelice), psychoanalyst Giovanni (Moretti) is called out on a patient emergency; Andrea goes scuba diving with friends instead and is accidentally killed. In the aftermath, Giovanni introspectively obsesses over his actions on the fateful day, while his wife and daughter also begin to crack under the pressure of their inconsolable anguish and the previously close family begins to pull apart. Anchored by superb performances, Moretti's powerful meditation on sorrow and the journey to understanding is a near-faultless masterpiece.
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"...[Moretti tells] his story with a freshness and quiet intensity that hooks you, draws you in and keeps you twitching on the line 'til the very end....The film teems with originality and detail..."
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Most helpful member's review
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16 out of 16 people found this review helpful
more than a view of a room
This was lucky find! A really nicely crafted small scale film - an intimate picture of a family coping with the aftermath of the death of a son. The film was not overly depressing, rather, was well observed and felt natural as the family adapted to the tough situation. It was postive to see them begin to manage and change in the light of what had happened. So without being educational, there was a sense of development.
The Italian-ness of the film made it extra enjoyble; the interiors of an Italian home, mealtimes, thoughfully, but sparely filmed countryside. It was even possible to begin to recognise words and language alongside the subtitles as most of the dialogue was reasonably paced.
So not gooey, no sugary 'all is resolved' wrapping at the end. Some sense that we know roughly where they are going, but satisfyingly space for the viewer to imagine the rest... bit like a good radio play - know what I mean? -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
A slice of life
An absorbing film about a family, the relationships within it, and how those bonds are affected by the sudden death of a close family member.
The film spends quite some time establishing a picture of the family before the death - perhaps it seems a little too perfect a family at times, although the problem at the school dispelled that a bit.
I found the therapist's sessions with his clients reallly interesting, and it was a useful device to keep the audience's interest in what was a very slow film, where not a lot happens. This is not necessarily a criticism - some of the best films I've seen fall into that category, but it does need to be handled carefully, or the audience just gets bored.
A good film - I enjoyed it. -
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Nanni Moretti's extraordinary drama THE SON'S ROOM, which won the Palme D'Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, tells the harrowing story of a once tight-knit, happy family having to come to terms ... -