for those who associate italian cinema with fellini and " high art , " the son's room is an inventive , subtle alternative . written by , directed , and starring nanni moretti , it takes us through the slow , complicated path of bereavement . slow is the best description for the film at first . it takes its time in establishing the habits of what appears to be a normal , happy family . father and mother both work but still find the time to support their son and daughter through homework and after school activities . they laugh , spend free time together , and reprimand the kids for innocent wrongs with a sigh and soft pat on the shoulder . you get the feeling there is open communication and unconditional love amongst the foursome . but suddenly , the son is found to be dead after a diving accident . the family dynamics begin an unpredictable descent that gives the narrative strength when you least expect it , but can also be trying on the attention span . though the film drags and even repeats itself , this can be somewhat excused as influenced by the process of grieving . though nanni moretti wore several hats for this production , it doesn't come across as a vanity piece . one might wish he hadn't picked the profession of analyst for the father , giovanni ( which he stars as ) , if only because this makes his character's reactions so predictable . what saves it is a well written script , with spare dialogue and an eclectic variety of human interaction . the potency of the film lies in the recreation of the tiny details of everyday life that alter due to the death of a close relative , or that remind a depressed person of loss . you start to take notice of the cracked dishes , ignored when familial bliss was in full swing . you remember bonding during the routine jogs around the block , and not necessarily huge events like graduation . even better are the role reversals that take place within the household . while giovanni and paola ( laura morante ) do check up on their daughter irene ( jasmine trinca ) , there is a sense of being on autopilot . not only does irene begin to take care of her own needs more , she'll make her parents breakfast in an attempt to crack their new shells to life around them . these scenes provide interesting portrayals of various coping mechanisms , frequently crossing a boundary as to how much you can help yourself versus others during drastic , unexpected change . respectfully , gender issues never enter the picture . self-propelled isolation is universal in terms of dealing , so moretti intelligently uses this tool to separate the family . though giovanni does stop paolo from discussing andrea at a party with friends , there is never a sense that he or she is more stoic , or more correct in the search to restore a sense of a balance to their lives . most films that broach the topic of death utilize annoying melodrama , speeches , and conciliatory issues to get the waterworks flowing . in contrast , the son's room captures a more realistic depiction of the effects of death on a family by graciously flowing among the five stages of mourning ( denial , depression , anger , bargaining , acceptance ) through each of its main characters . it's not the most engaging 100 minutes , but it is certainly easy to relate to .
