| In the Bedroom |
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| 1/2 |
| Rating: Mixed Distributor: Miramax Films Release Date: November 23, 2001 (limited), wider December 25th, 2001 and December 28th, 200 Running Length: 2 hours, 16 minutes MPAA Rating: R Genre: Drama, Family Crisis, Thriller Director: Todd Field Cast: Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, Nick Stahl, Marisa Tomei, and William Mapother. |
| Plot: Two parents (Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson) watch their only son (Nick Stahl) pursue a relationship with a married woman (Marisa Tomei). Although the woman is about to get a divorce, her husband (William Mapother) is dangerous and scary. Eventually, he kills the son, and the parents are left to grieve. Their behaviors differ, and their relationship is strained. To make matters worse their lawyer cannot convict the man who killed their son for anything more than manslaughter. This is because there is no evidence that it wasn't an accident. Thus the parents are left to heal their relationship, and find closure to the loss of their son. |
| Critique: In the Bedroom is an empty, distasteful, disappointing motion picture. It never conjures up enough heart or emotion to make its story worth telling. Indeed, it seems the director wants to say something in his story, but was so eager to say something that he forgot to tell the story. Thus the final message is unconvincing and uninteresting. Todd Field, the writer and director, rushes through plot elements and character development so that he can get to the two climactic killings. The storyline is constantly weak, mechanical and uninspiring. Moreover, Field ruins the film when abandons his realism at the climax. He disrespects all the families who have lost somebody by delivering his self-important conclusion. Subsequently, he is unable to breathe life into his film. However, Field's strength is his ability to write believable dialogue. The dialogue is spoken effectively by the polished actors. Certainly, the film's strongest attribute is its astonishing acting. The leads Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson are impressive, with assured deliveries and natural mannerisms. The supporting cast also performs well, especially the son's murderer, Tom Mapother. Indeed, all the actors put out tremendous efforts. Nonetheless, they were surrounded by very flawed material. On, one account the material limits the actor's performance. That actor is Nick Stahl, who's plays the son. His character is paper thin because of the script; therefore Stahl can do little to vivify his character. All of the character development was rushed, but Stahl's character is especially lacking in details. In the Bedroom is devoid of life, and it is wildly self-important. Todd Field rushes his character development, and provides mechanical storytelling. The acting in the film is very strong, but it does not overcome the film's weaknesses. I do not recommend In the Bedroom, an ineffective film. review by supernothingman |