La Stanza del Figlio (The Son’s Room)

The story has been told many times, a happy family that loses a son and everything changes, but director Nanni Moretti manages to make the story into an extraordinary film thanks to a great screenplay, co written by Moretti and excellent performances by Nanni Moretti that plays the father and Laura Morante that plays the mother.

What could easily had become a melodrama, remains as a strong drama elaborated with organic fluidity and all the principal characters display a depth that hints at the wealth of unspoken thought and emotion behind their words and actions.

While in the beginning everything is happiness and the pace let you feel happy of watching a so called normal and happy family, soon everything changes and the pace changes too, giving you more time to feel all the sorrow of the parents and sister. It totally plays with your emotions and you will get into the point of bursting into tears… but it is an intelligent film and you will not shred a tear.

So you know, the end is a good end and you will feel a lot of relief after and perhaps even joyful it ended like it did.

I am thinking that the best way to describe accurately this film is to call it an intelligent film, which I did before but I wanted to point it out.

This 2001 film won 9 awards including the 2001 Cannes Palm d’Or and was honored with 23 nominations in several international awards and festivals.

Not for all audiences as it borders on art house film without totally being one, but you have to like intelligent films.