#480: The Son's Room (2001)

Director: Nanni Moretti

Cast: Nanni Moretti, Laura Morante, Jasmine Trinca & Giuseppe Sanfelice

In his Palme d'Or-winning film, Moretti uses an undiluted style to reveal the grieving process of a family for their son, Andrea. Giovanni, a psychotherapist and father, asks his son Andrea to go for a jog, but before they do, the phone rings. Giovanni's client is having a crisis, and desperately needs to see him. Consequently, Andrea decides to meet some friends to go diving, where he is killed in an accident. This shatters the lives of Giovanni and his family, as well as Giovanni's clients. As time goes on, we see the family struggle from denial to anger, and finally bringing the pieces together and accepting their present state.

The stages of grief are extremely well represented in this film. I was able to relate to each of the characters throughout, without any frills at all.

There's really not much else to say about this film. It's a touching and simple film. One thumb for emotion... but everybody should know by now I like to go for movies that make you think. This requires no thinking, just feeling.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The Latin lines that crop up are from Lucretius' De rerum natura. The full passage reads as follows: "Haec sic pernosces parva perductus opella; namque alid ex alio clarescet nec tibi caeca nox iter eripiet, quin ultima naturai pervideas: ita res accendent lumina rebus. (Lucretius, De Rerum Natura I, 1114-1117) An (old-fashioned) English translation: "These points, if thou wilt ponder, Then, with but paltry trouble led along... For one thing after other will grow clear, Nor shall the blind night rob thee of the road, To hinder thy gaze on Nature's Farthest-forth. Thus things for things shall kindle torches new."
• Chosen by "Les Cahiers du cinéma" (France) as one of the 10 best pictures of 2001 (#09)