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The Son's Room is a story of happiness, grief, and the road to recovery from grief, all part of the human condition. Actor/writer/director Nanni Moretti has taken an incident from his own life dealing with a serious health condition and gently woven it into a story of one man's journey through the grieving process that at times is harrowing. This film also stars Laura Morante (Sweet Dreams) as the man's wife, with newcomers Jasmine Trinca and Giuseppe Sanfelice as their children. Nicola Piovani's music enhances the story by being there and yet not being there, so yes, Hollywood composers, bombastic need not be the catchword.

In The Son's Room, Nanni is a compassionate psychologist with a thriving practice. His wife, Laura, holds down the home that has two teens, Jasmine and Giuseppe. The family is as busy as any household in the world, but dinner is when they manage time to talk together. Part of the film dwells on Nanni's patients who alternate from mentally ill to neurotic. About halfway through the film, tragedy strikes home and the remnants of the family each have to deal with it in their own way. A secret is uncovered which surprises everyone in an unusually nice way. We see that recovering from a tragic event takes time and is as individualistic as each person is unique.

Nanni Moretti has a kind face. If this man were a real life analyst, he would have a thriving practice. No wonder this film is gaining in popularity around the globe. His expressions mirror the turmoil within himself. What to do? How to do it? Can he grieve and still help people? He begins to see the inner resilience of his patients which was overlooked when he was the analyst and emotionally removed from their recovering process. Laura Morante also, has a face that shows expression and strongly resembles the American actress Rene Russo. Her role as mother is to hold the family together, but are moms allowed to be anything less that emotionally strong? The younger actors portraying the children and their friends have a freshness that makes it appear they could be anyone’s neighborhood teens.

There are no car crashes in The Son's Room, no explosions or chase scenes, either. It is low key and the director (also Moretti) lets the story play along at a steady pace. The entire cast has impeccable timing. This is no Roberto Benigni film in which the lead actor seems to be waiting for applause at the end of each scene. The audience is given time to reflect on what they would do in a similar situation. The Son's Room is set in Italy with lovely scenes of the sea. Composer Nicola Piovani uses from one to three voices and/or instruments at a time that give a sense of longing and loss to the soundtrack.

The Son's Room is an eloquent testimonial to what being human is all about. We must deal with the unknown, which sometimes carries loss with it. We must reach out to others for help and not be afraid to try. There is no one best way to deal with grief; tools for release may include quietly crying and loudly screaming. There is no age limit on grief and the young suffer as much as the old. Life goes on, but in different directions and different ways.

Copyright 2002 Marie Asner
Submitted 4/7/2002