In the Bedroom
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.31 You Save: $12.68 (85%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.40 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of In the Bedroom
Movie Review: Human drama par excellence
Summary: 5 Stars
Once again an independent film shows that a good story, insightful directing and inspired acting can outperform the Hollywood giants with their $50 Million budgets. This film was produced for a scant $1.7 million and garnered five Oscar nominations including best picture. Writer/Director/Producer Todd Field, who has spent most of his career almost invisibly as an actor, explodes onto the scene on the other side of the camera and serves notice that he is a force to be reckoned with.The story is powerful and poignant. It is the story of a family that is shattered by a horrible tragedy and it examines their ordeal as they come to terms with it. Field's workup is wonderfully done, giving care to assure that we understand and involve ourselves with these characters. It is a very likeable family, with down to earth people that come across like our closest friends. This makes their tragedy into our tragedy, so we easily identify with the shearing forces that shred their lives.
Field shows an extreme talent for bringing a stark realism to the screen. The characters are consistent with their development and exceedingly believable. The way he frames the shots and his choice of close-ups of inanimate objects is superb, heightening the feeling of being there. Having spent a good bit of time in New England myself, I noticed that the locations capture much of the feeling of the place. Even the sounds are more realistic than most films.
After the tragedy occurs, Field casts a suffocating pall over the film as he allows the humanness of his characters to dominate. Shock and denial are followed by seething resentment and blame. The characters are seen going robotically through the motions of their daily lives as they attempt to cope with the reality of the heartbreak that has befallen them. If there is one area where Field errs slightly, it may be here. He purposely dwells on these scenes to bring the audience to the same level of frustration and anguish as the characters, in an attempt to make us see that the final resolution is inevitable. However, his pace is overly torturous. The film bogs down and becomes repetitive during the second act, making the entire film seem much too long. However, this is more than compensated by the tense and evocative final act.
The acting is riveting. Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek and Marisa Tomei were all nominated for Oscars. December seems to be a lucky month for birthdays in this film, since all four of the leads were born in that month (Wilkinson, 12/12, Spacek, 12/25, Tomei, 12/4 and Stahl, 12/5).
Wilkinson ("The Full Monty", "Shakespeare in Love", "The Patriot") emerges from the shadow of supporting roles with a compelling performance in the lead. His sincerity and believability endow his character with an amiable nature. His anger and grief is contained, yet while he appears impassive, it is clear that the emotional vortex runs deep. This is a breakout performance for Wilkinson and hopefully will portend larger roles in the future.
For Sissy Spacek, this is her sixth Oscar nomination. Throughout her career, Spacek has dependably belted out one commanding dramatic performance after another and this is no exception. This is a somewhat more emotionally repressed character than she usually plays, but she does it beautifully. When the dam finally breaks and she goes to pieces, it is one of the most intense scenes in the film.
Marisa Tomei may be one of the most underappreciated actors in film today. After her best supporting Oscar for "My Cousin Vinny", one would have expected more leading roles. They never came and she continued to deliver a parade of terrific supporting roles. Tomei is a very visceral actor, with great emotional range and the ability to make any character seem lovable. Here, as Natalie, she pours herself into a confused and broken girl trying desperately to put her life together after her breakup with an abusive husband. Her romantic scenes are touching and she has numerous heartrending scenes that punctuate the feelings that the other characters are suppressing. This is a richly textured performance that helps give the film its soul. Perhaps now, after 20 years in the business Tomei will finally be discovered.
Nick Stahl rounds out the main cast as son Frank Fowler. Stahl effectively captures the struggle of young adulthood, trying to manage complex adult situations with the inexperience and naiveté of youth. William Mapother does a fine job as Natalie's abusive husband. Mapother's resume is mostly comprised of bit parts in the films of his famous cousin Thomas Mapother (aka Tom Cruise) having appeared in five of them. However Mapother shows talent of his own in some intense scenes with Tomei and Stahl. I was impressed how he was able to switch from arrogant intimidation to meek pusillanimity in the final scene with Wilkinson. It is the perfect portrayal of the bully who is only strong in the face of those weaker than he.
This is a disturbing and powerful film that cuts your heart out and serves it up cold. There is a thunderhead of new and unheralded talent that converges to create an extraordinary independent film. Though Field is a bit heavy handed in the second act, everything else is near perfect. I rated it a 9/10. For lovers of drama and great acting this film is a must see.
Movie Review: Pain and loss at its most realistic...
Summary: 5 Stars
`In the Bedroom' is one of those films that is so tragic, so devastating, so emotionally crippling that one is forced to tear themselves down and examine all that they are witnessing. There are few films that can make the act of buying chocolate tear-inducing, but Todd Field's brilliantly crafted `In the Bedroom' does that very thing. I have yet to see a film that has touched me the way that this film has, nor have I seen a film that I am this violently passionate about, but `In the Bedroom' is just that rare cinematic accomplishment that gets everything right. It is not the most devastating story to ever be told, but the way the story is told, the way the events and their effect are delivered to the viewer is so magnificent, so raw and real that the audience quickly becomes so absorbed and invested that they feel the pain as if it were there own.
The film is adapted from Andre Dubus' short story entitled `Killings' (which if you ever have the chance to read please do for it is extremely well written) which follows the aftereffects of a young mans murder on his parents. While the short story comes in at the funeral and moves forward from there Todd Field masterfully adapted his script to include events taking place before the killing that connect the audience with not only the suffering parents but the victim as well.
Todd Field made Frank Fowler real.
Frank Fowler is a young college student home for the summer. His summer activities mostly include the older Natalie Strout, a mother who is separated from her violent and jealous husband. Frank's parents do not necessarily approve of his decision (especially not his mother) but he is a grown man and they really can't prevent him from seeing who he pleases. The only person that can stop Frank is Frank; that is until Natalie's estranged husband Richard gets wind of the affair and decides to end it himself, with a gun. This powerful moment (which occurs off-screen) carries the weight of the balance of the film. Part of what makes Todd Fields direction so dynamic is decisions like the one mentioned above, to have the murder take place out of the line of sight. In this Field is able to focus, not on the tragedy that befell Frank, but on the hole that it left in those he loved. The killing is felt throughout the entire film yet it is never seen.
Frank's parents Matt and Ruth deal with the loss of their son in different yet equally emotional ways. They become distant from one another. They begin to blame one another, to accuse and turn on one another. This is expected and has been seen in films of this nature before but Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek are so brilliant here the whole situation takes on new light. When they verbally assault one another in the living room it's shocking to the viewer and thus it has so much more weight tagged onto its back. Their eventual struggle to reconnect is even more shocking and that final scene is a disturbing yet settling and warranted conclusion.
The film is shot beautifully, in small vignettes that help the audience connect to the characters and fall into the mood that Todd Field and Andre Dubus before him set before us. The film, playing more like a collection of scenes, gives the audience a sense of reality. This is just life depicted in art. The lives these two live is just like yours and mine except they've lost something very dear to them.
The acting here is some of the finest in recent years. Each and every performance comes together to establish real and raw emotions that the audience can relate to and sympathize with. Watching Wilkinson and Spacek interact with one another in mere silence is so emotionally reaching and powerful. Marisa Tomei is also effortlessly endearing as Natalie. As the viewer watches her struggle for words, her uncontrollable shakes and shivers as she attempts to give her statement to the court you can't help but become invested in her character, in her pain. Nick Stahl is effective as the doomed Frank, and he needs to be for this movie hinges on his performance. William Mapother brings a sense of understanding to his portrayal of Richard, especially as the film spirals to its closing.
No performance though is as essential to the impact of this film as Wilkinson's portrayal of Matt Fowler. There is one scene in particular that to me is the scene this whole movie can base itself on. It's a shot of Matt in his son's room rummaging through his things and there are tears falling from his face. This scene chocked me up so much because his pain was so real, so realistic. It was not dramatized. There was no sudden outburst, no screams, nothing but real emotion.
And that to me sums up `In the Bedroom', one of the finest films ever to be filmed. This is real emotion at play here, a film that elicits in the viewer a deep-seated pain that is so real, so genuine that we can't help but feel a part of it. This is one of the most effective character studies in recent years and will remain in your mind and in your heart forever.
Movie Review: The actors' film of 2001.
Summary: 5 Stars
"In The Bedroom" is truly a stunning and shattering motion picture. It is definitely an actors' movie. The acting performances make up for the lack of action, special effects, thrills and chills, and basically everything else that most of the other Hollywood blockbusters have these days. The dialouge and plot is really good, and "In The Bedroom" should get this year's Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Heck--it deserves Best Picture!The film, "In The Bedroom", centers around two families living in the small suburban town of Camden, Maine. Director Todd Field decided to concentrate more on what happens to the families during the aftermath of the tragedy, rather than how the tragedy came to be. Yes, it was slow-paced. Yes, the ending just sort of stopped and left you with a cliffhanger. But it had meaning. It made you think. And most people, for some reason, are afraid to think while watching movies these days. Most movie audiences want the movie to think FOR you...so they don't have to do anything but just sit there and let the magic of Hollywood blast you off into the deep ends of imagination.
In the beginning of "In The Bedroom", we meet Frank Fowler (Nick Stahl), a young aspiring architect who is going to college in the fall. But for now, he works part-time on a lobster boat, fishing for lobsters. He is the all-around good American boy who'd make any parent proud: has a career and future set for himself, is going to college, is a good student, is clean-cut, has a way with the ladies, etc. But Frank is also going through what he calls a "summer fling" with an older woman, Natalie Strout (Marisa Tomei), who is more "experienced", has two young sons, and has recently separated from her violent, abusive husband, Richard Strout. In the first few minutes of the film, you see Frank and Natalie running in a field (don't worry--I'm not giving anything away), and making love in the tall grass. Next, you meet Frank's parents--Matt Fowler (Tom Wilkinson), who works full-time as a lobsterman, if that's what you want to call it, and Ruth Fowler (Sissy Spacek), who works as the choir teacher for the town's church. Both are very respected in the town of Camden. Matt and Ruth are both very proud of Frank; they treat him like he's the most important thing in the world to them...even more important than each other. The know about Frank's "fling" with Natalie, and both have different opinions of it. Matt, thinks it's okay, as long as Frank doesn't do anyting stupid like get her pregnant. He even secretly thinks Frank scored big time because he thinks Natalie is hot. Ruth doesn't like this relationship at all. She thinks Frank should spend more time concentrating on his future rather than spending time with Natalie. When Richard Strout finds out about the affair Frank is having with his wife, he is outraged. He still thinks Natalie and the children belong to him--and doesn't like another man getting too close to her. So one day, when Frank is at Natalie's house, Richard trespasses onto her property and invites himself into her house. Richard and Frank get into a huge argument when Natalie wants Richard to leave but Richard refuses. Frank tells Natalie to take the kids upstairs and no soon after does Natalie hear the shot of a gun. She runs downstairs to find Frank dead--shot in the head. And Richard has a gun. Richard bursts out of the house and takes off. Later, after the parents find out about Frank's murder, they go to court and Richard is proven innocent. Ruth and Matt are in complete shock that Frank's murderer has been let loose--they want him to pay for what he did to their son, but in different ways. Now, Ruth, Matt, and Natalie all grieve for Frank. There is a lack of communication between Matt and Ruth, and Ruth begins to blame Frank's death on Natalie.
It is such a powerful drama. The scene that shocked me the most was when Natalie came up to Ruth as she was in the church to try and talk to her. Then instead, of listening to Natalie, Ruth slaps her hard across the face! Sissy Spacek truly deserves to win the Oscar for Best Actress. Wilkinson is also excellent, but it is Spacek who steals the show. Marisa Tomei is wonderful in a supporting role, and does her best with the limited amount of screen time that she has. Nick Stahl proves to be more than just "eye candy" in teen films like "Disturbing Behavior" and proves that he can act...one of the best performances by a young actor in 2001. And the man who played Richard Strout (I forget his name...all I can remember is that he is Tom Cruise's cousin), is very good, too.
The film has a surprising, shocker kind of ending to it. I don't see why so many people disliked it. I loved it and thought it was great and truly an original, unique film. This film is way too intense for young viewers. So parents, don't let your children see this film!
"In The Bedroom" is the must-see film of 2001. I can't wait for the DVD release so I can buy it on DVD. This film is not to be missed!
Movie Review: Masterpiece: Like Still Water, This Realistic Film Runs Deep
Summary: 5 Stars
I hear some (but very few) complaint about this film, which made me write this one. If you have a keen eye in picking up a good stuff, you will anyway see this masterpiece, but just in case I urge you very strongly to see "In the Bedroom" which deserves your money and time.The film is about ... what? This is exactly the point the film challenges us. It starts with a romance in one idyllic summer in Maine, full of bright sunshine and beautiful ocean. Matt Fawler, a local doctor, and Ruth Fawler, a school teacher, are spending happy time with their son Frank, who is having a love affair with a beautiful wife Natalie (who lives with her son, practically separated with her husband). It is just a summer thing, nothing serious, Frank thinks. Though his father Matt shares the view with his son, his mother sees things differently, worrying about her son's behaviors.
Then, a tragedy happens. Richard, Natalie's abusing husband shows up, and during the fight between him and Frank, the latter is shot by Richard's handgun. Frank's parents, living in deep grief, know that they are no longer able to live as the way they did, but cannot speak of the fact to each other. Their wound eventually leads Matt to one decision that should rectify the past. But will it?
All about the film, the title says prominently: "Bedroom" means double ways, as "trap" (as in the beginning of the film, Matt explains to his son) and of course, literarily, a bedroom where the film ends. It is the place no one can get out, nor make noise. The Fowlers, trapped in this silent room, have to lacerate each other's hearts even before the tragic event happens, and the film, instead of telling their conditions loudly, quietly shows us their loneliness. You hear often this expression, like, to "read between the lines," but this film is just the instance that requires you to do that.
And to make it possible, two leading actors Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek, true revelation of the film, practically become the tormented characters, displaying what these first-rate players can do at their best. Also of note is Marissa Tomei, whose career is suffering from decline since her Oscar 10 years ago, as is shown in that terrible "The Watcher." Todd Field may feel proud of extracting the best performance from those players, and he should be.
The film has many virtues, but I only point out one of them, and finish my review. The film intentionally skips some crucial parts -- the gunshot in case, for example -- and allows us to take multiple views on the events it describes. The Fawlers are quite unsatisfied with the "manslaughter" verdict, which would be possibly given, and we are quite naturally take their view. But the film cleverly refuses to show the crime scene itself, making the whole situation more unstable and uncomfortable. After watching the film you might think, "Are the Fawlers really right?" Another instance is found in Ruth's claim, who says she sees Richard (who killed her son) hanging around her, torturing her, always and all over the small town. But the film shows such scenes only once. How should we take her words? Or, how should we take the last words she says to her husband in the end of the film? (This is a key place so I cannot disclose. Just watch for yourself, and think.)
"In the Bedroom" is great because it succeeds in making us feel that there are a lot of things going on outside the film. Without revealing too much, the film shows how an "ordinary" people commit something they should not do. We read many reports on newspaper everyday, telling crimes that we think not so special. But most probably, those crimes happen as the film depicts, involving many people's lives. And this subtle touch is the greatest merit of "In the Bedroom."
The film goes like "Sling Blade," which has some common territory with "In the Bedroom." They both move slowly, but with reality only the deft hands can make. If you like this Billy Bob's masterpiece, you will also be fascinated with this one, a rewarding experience for fans of any truthful drama.
Movie Review: BEAUTIFUL, EMOTIONAL, RAW and GRIPPING!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
A difficult movie, but WELL worth the effort. I'm surprised at some of the less than rave reviews here. This is a movie that is unflinchingly unpredictable. Everyone is totally believable, but you never have any idea what a character is going to do next. It's richly written, with beautiful texture and pacing (the pacing is slow, but it's like slow boil...stuff IS happening). And the plot is familiar at one moment and totally unique the next.
The first "act" deals with introducing us to loving couple Sissy Spacke and Tom Wilkerson (although we can tell that many years together has led to a small dose of "familiarity breeds contempt"...this couple is believably "non-intimate" like many long-termed married couples are...they fight, they give each other looks and yet we know they are committed to each other). Their son, Nich Stahl, a young man barely out of high school, is engaged in an affair with an "older" woman (Marisa Tomei). When her estranged husband finds out, tragedy ensues.
The second "act" shows how the loss of their son, particularly to violence, leads to feelings of helplessness, remorse, hatred, desire for revenge, and most of all, a near total emtional estrangement between the couple. We aren't just dealing with a generic "grief" as we have seen in countless TV-movies. This movie dares to show how these two likeable people are ravaged by their loss. RAVAGED. Whew, it's some tough, emotional stuff, but so believably presented as to be thrilling at the same time. Near the end of this act, there is a scene where the couple nearly come to blows and start spewing out their accusations with the kinds of words and insults that you can't take back...you know the kind. How this spell is broken is an absolutely amazing, surprising and REAL scene. Not with theatrical gestures and grandoise speeches, but with the arrival of a little girl selling candy for a fundraiser. Don't ask...just watch and be totally moved.
Act Three is vengeance. Many have argued that this act pulls the movie out of reality and into "Hollywood" or at least into another genre of film. Yet is it really such a stretch that the couple would find new unity through their desire for revenge. And how much, really, if YOU were the parent of a murdered child, would it take to send you in thirst for revenge. And again, the movie doesn't take an easy, predictable road down this act either.
The acting is uniformly OUTSTANDING. Sissy Spacek, a much admired actress who has always frankly left me just a little cold, is GREAT. She allows herself to sink into her despair, yet remain cold and tightly wound. She has a scene with Tomei that is startlingly in its actions and emotional rawness. She is vulnerable, in all senses of that word for an actress. Speaking of vulnerable, the much-maligned Marisa Tomei is riveting. I've always hated that she caught so much grief after winning her Oscar for MY COUSIN VINNY. You know what...she's a pretty darn good actress. She has a vulnerable quality that just shines from her. She's BELIEVABLY sweet and sexy, and in IN THE BEDROOM, she is stripped raw too, with guilt and sadness.
But the truly revelatory performance comes from Tom Wilkerson, most famous before this for THE FULL MONTY. He is at once stubborn, tender, funny, loving, tough, whimpy, sad, determined, intelligent, emotional. He juggles all his emotions and all his character's transitions with TOTAL control and believability. Denzel Washington won the Oscar for TRAINING DAY...Russell Crowe was heavily favored by some for A BEAUTIFUL MIND, but it was Wilkerson who really gave the most astonishing performance of the year.
All the characters were presented as people we might know...really know. Thus, their draining emotional journeys can be empathized with. It's a bleak and beautiful movie and one I can't recommend highly enough for an adult audience.