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THE SON'S ROOM Send This Review to a Friend
Nanni Moretti, who also plays the lead, has directed a simply told but shattering story about coping with grief in the Italian import "The Son's Room," a major attraction at the 2001 New York Film Festival.
Coincidentally, Moretti's work is staggeringly timely in view of the September 11th tragedies in America, with thousands faced with the prospect of dealing with personal loss. In the film the loss is the death of a son in a scuba diving accident. Life is forever changed for Moretti as psychiatrist Giovanni and for Laura Morante as his wife Paola. Tension builds at home and the doctor's practice becomes untenable.
There has already been comparison between "The Son's Room" and the justly praised "In the Bedroom," in which the loss of a son is also at the root of emotional upheaval. Apart from that similarity, these two films could scarcely be more different and it is fruitless to pit one against the other. "The Son's Room" establishes a world of its own and Moretti's method is far more understated and subtle in its observations and resolution. Nor is there any vigilante melodrama attached.
For one thing, after Andrea (Giuseppe Sanfelice) is killed, we also see the effect on his sister Irene, very convincingly portrayed by Jasmine Trinca. The catalyst for beginning to deal with the trauma is a letter from a young woman who opens the door that will enable the couple and their grieving daughter to begin the healing process insofar as one is possible. Andrea has made an impression on this girl, who belatedly learns of his death, and her personal contact with the family compels them to make adjustments.
As an actor Moretti is quietly effective. As director, he makes one wise choice after another in the way he presents delicate situations, occasionally introduces wry humor and develops incisive portraits of the characters. This is a beautifully made film, exquisite in the way the story evolves and in the caring it evokes. Although every situation involving grief has its own distinction, "The Son's Room" has much to offer others having to face such shocking sadness, and even those who must come to grips with the loss of loved ones in less dramatic circumstances. A Miramax Films release.
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