Simply A Masterpiece

Sadly Over-hyped

Memorable, crazy movie

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

In The Bedroom is tough cinema, packed with the kind of substance and human drama that often drives casual viewers away, their psyches scorched by the lack of generic plotting and warm, fuzzy story arcs. To those who actively seek out realism, heartbreaking emotion and films which probe the complex corners of the human soul for answers that weigh heavier in your thoughts than the questions, this one is a treat. It lulls you in with an opening montage of summer romance, giving you no context of the challenging character arcs to come. We begin with Frank (Nick Stahl) a man barely out of his teens, in the midst of a passionate fling with Natalie (a fantastic Marisa Tomei), a woman far older than him who has two kids and a troublesome ex husband (William Mapother). Frank's parents differ on their opinions as far as his relationship goes. His no nonsense mother (Sissy Spacek), calmly disapproves, while his loving father (Tom Wilkinson) encourages simply by sitting back and going along with it. Then, out of nowhere, the plot takes a sharp turn into tragedy. Frank is killed in a struggle involving the volatile ex husband, leaving everyone behind to grieve. This film isn't content with a simple, standard grieving process. It insists on holding a steady, nonjudgmental gaze upon the parents, and the agonizing state they are left in. The killer is released on extended bail. The mother is torn apart knowing he is out there. The father actively downplays the devastation simply because he isn't capable of letting out what's inside him, twisting him in silent despair every moment of every day. Wilkinson is emotional dynamite, like a bleak cloud with flashes of sorrowful lightning beneath, a time bomb of implosive sadness. Spacek carries herself magnificently, especially in a third act verbal showdown with Tom that leaves you gutted and stunned. These two play their roles with uncanny precision, every movement and mannerism a roadmap leading straight to the core emotion, and shellshock of the tragedy, still being absorbed by their characters with every frame we see. It's a brave script for any group to undertake, and one which you must go into utterly prepared or you will either fall short of telling the story to its potential, or be consumed and disarmed by it, and arrive with a finished product with a tone deaf mentality. Not this one. Every aspect is treated with care, attention and focus by all involved, miraculously pulling this hefty piece off without a hitch. It's often a struggle to sit through films that don't make you feel all that great, films that tear off the superficial cloth that much of cinema is cut from, delving beneath for an unwavering look at what really goes on in this world of ours, be it large scale or intimate. It's important to experience this occasionally though, as it can often teach you valuable truths and awaken parts of your perception that lie dormant during a lot of other movies. This one won't hold your hand and provide an emotional blueprint for you to follow, but in being let off the leash, the experience may just be more rewarding.

In the Bedroom is an awesome film. I use the word awesome in the most literal sense--as you watch it, in inspires awe. The reason is that some films try to be realistic, but this one really manages to do so. The consequences of this for the viewer are devastating, because the events, which just as well could be real, are very disturbing. As a result, you are traumatized just like the characters in the film in a very genuine way.The setting is Camden, Maine, where you are introduced to an average family including a middle aged doctor, his music teacher wife, and their son on the verge of going to college. The son, however, has fallen for an older woman who has two children and a very angry ex- boyfriend, and we are quickly introduced to the notion that things are not quite right. The boyfriend and the son encounter each other on several occasions, and so as not to trigger the spoiler alert, I will say only that one of these meetings ends in tragedy. The family then has to cope with what happened.Most movies cultivate a drama; rarer are the movies that actually take you to a community and drop you right in the middle of it. In the Bedroom is one of these--the doctor, Frank, played by Tom Wilkinson, might as well be someone you know. Wilkinson plays him so well that it seems like he is absolutely real. Sissy Spacek, who plays his wife, gives a performance in the same category. Marisa Tomei offers up a portrait of domestic violence that brings you into the room with a very terrified young woman--it is distressing. William Mapother, as the ex-boyfriend, is scary in a way that seems true to life.The conflict in the film ultimately is how to deal with the tragedy. It is a tough movie to watch--there is no way that you would want to be in the situation that these characters are in. Usually, as an audience member, you are insulated somewhat from the drama by the unreality of watching a movie. Here, however, since you might as well be watching the real thing, you begin to feel uncomfortable. The movie is magic.

American screenwriter, actor and director Todd Field's feature film debut which he co-wrote with screenwriter Rob Feistinger, is based on a short story called "Killings" from 1979 by American novelist Andre Dubas (1936-1999). It premiered at the 17th Sundance International Film Festival in 2001, was screened in the Special Presentations section at the 26th Toronto International Film Festival in 2001 and is an American production which was shot on location in the town of Knox and Lincoln County in the state of Maine in the New England region of north-eastern USA and produced by producer Graham Leader, Jewish-American screenwriter, producer and director Ross Katz and Todd Field. It tells the story about Matt Fowler, a doctor who lives in a quiet neighbourhood in the town of Camden in Maine with his wife Ruth who is a music teacher. Matt and Ruth's only son Frank has just come home for the summer after graduating and is in a relationship with an older woman named Natalie who recently separated from her husband Richard Strout who is the father of her two young sons Duncan and Jason. All though Frank's father encourages him to go to the architecture school in Boston which he has applied for, Frank has taken a part-time job on a lobster boat so he can be with Natalie and her children. Frank and Natalie's relationship grows stronger, but this upsets Richard who begins to bother them. Distinctly and finely directed by American filmmaker Todd Field, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints, draws an intimate and gripping portrayal of a recent graduate's relationship with his caring parents who worries about his future and his evolving romance with a struggling mother who has just gotten out of a bad marriage. While notable for it's naturalistic and atmospheric milieu depictions, sterling art direction by director, screenwriter and art director Shannon Hart, cinematography by Spanish cinematographer Antonio Calvache, set decoration by set decorator Josh Outerbridge, fine editing by film editor Frank Reynolds and use of sound, this dialog-driven and narrative-driven psychological drama depicts several dense studies of character and contains a good score by American composer Thomas Newman. This instantly involving and poignantly atmospheric independent film from the early 21st century about a married couple's battle for justice after being struck by a terrible crime, is impelled and reinforced by it's subtle character development, cogent narrative structure, mindful dialog, interrelating stories, essential themes and the restrained and remarkable acting performances by British actor Tom Wilkinson, American actress Sissy Spacek, American actor Nick Stahl and American actress Marisa Tomei. A profound and memorable character piece which gained, among numerous other awards, the Special Jury Prize for Acting at the 17th Sundance International Film Festival in 2001 and Acadamy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 74th Academy Awards in 2001.

First of all, to the 'idjit' who found the flick boring, I award two free tickets to a slasher movie celebration or, a Bugs Bunny cartoon. That will suit his mentality.Question why the R rating? It should have been a PG-13. The story of conflict within the family will hit home to many. The ending may not satisfy some, but I won't go into it it would be a spoiler. Some of the outstanding things are the quick scenes, the close-ups, the beautiful, moody photography.The acting was superb. Spacek is everyone's favorite, Wilkinson was thoroughly convincing as was the entire well-chosen cast, particularly the 'bad' guy.This movie is a gem.