LA STANZA DEL FIGLIO (THE SON'S ROOM)

Italy, 2001, 100 minutes, Colour.
Nanni Moretti, Lara Morante.
Directed by Nanni Moretti.

The Son's Room is a humane and very moving film about death. Nanni Moretti, a well-known Italian comedian (Dear Diary, April) has turned his writing, directing and acting skills towards a very serious theme. He portrays a psychiatrist in a provincial Italian city. We see him in convincing scenes at home and glimpses of him with a variety of patients at work. His wife is strongly portrayed by Lara Morande. They have two teenage children, Andrea and Irene.

For a third of the film, it seems to be just portraying a family with its ordinary ups and downs, its love and sharing. However, Andrea is killed in a diving accident and the rest of the film shows the family trying to cope with its grief.

The film is very sad in showing how each of the three members of the family finds it difficult to cope, how the church is inadequate in offering solace during a Mass, how the psychiatrist thinks that he should give up his work, not able to listen to others.

Unexpectedly, a letter arrives for Andrea from a young girl that he met on a camping expedition the previous summer. This gives something of a lifeline to the family. At first the young girl cannot visit. Then, unexpectedly she arrives and brings some kind of conclusion of grief for the family and a hope for the future.

1. A moving and humane film? Portrait of contemporary family and family bonds? The impact of sudden death? Grieving and ability and inability to cope?

2. The Italian city, the coast, the port, the streets, offices, homes, suburbs? A realistic and authentic feel? The plainness of the camera style: editing glimpses together so that a continuous understanding of characters and themes is achieved without fuss? The musical score and the sad theme? Songs?

3. The portrait of the family: Giovanni, jogging, at home, his relationship with Paola, their love? Their children? The crisis of Andrea stealing the fossil? His denials, his friend, the interview with the principal, the meeting, the accusing boy and his being humiliated? The irony of Andrea later confessing to his mother that it was all meant to be a joke to embarrass the principal, but that the fossil was broken and the joke got out of hand? Irene and her basketball-playing? Outings, Andrea playing tennis (and his father's concern that he didn't have the competitive drive)? The scenes of the family together, Andrea walking with his father? Paola and her work? The meals?

4. The range of clients and Giovanni's working with them: his detachment, seemingly cold, yet making excuses for them: the obsessive lady with her systems, the man and his sexual worries and pornography, the man contemplating suicide and then having a cancer, the arrogant man who had never heard of him? The woman wanting to cancel all appointments - for five years? Building up a portrait of human nature, the need for therapy and listening, Giovanni and his work?

5. The Sunday: the phone call and Giovanni's decision to go to his client, the family going out, Andrea and his friends going diving? The phone call, the news of the accident, the impact on each of them? In the hospital, unable to make phone calls?

6. The funeral parlour, their farewell to Andrea, kissing his body, the detail of putting the lid on the coffin? The mass and the inappropriateness of the text chosen by the priest about the robbing of the house and the owner knowing the time? The God-language which didn't help? Giovanni's reaction afterwards?

7. The manifestations of grief: Giovanni at work, the sympathy from his clients, his bursting out crying with the talk of the woman who couldn't have children? His anger at the man for getting him to keep the appointment on the Sunday, the advice to tell the man the truth, his inability? The man finally breaking off the therapy, thanking him, wanting to concentrate on his illness and getting better? The house, everything breakable in the house and Giovanni's breaking things? Paola and her grief? The sense of separation? Irene and her angry outburst at the basketball match and her suspension?

8. The phone call to Ariana and Giovanni's inability to write letters? Her not coming? The impact of her letter, especially on Paola? Discovering the other life of Andrea and being happy for him? Ariana's sudden arrival, the talking awkwardly with Giovanni, with Paola? The photos of Andrea in his room? The consolation, Ariana hitchhiking with her friend, the family taking them for the hitchhike point, no hitch, going further to the French border? The meal? The impact of Ariana, getting the family out of themselves, their walking on the beach separately yet with hope of coming together?

9. Giovanni's return to his work or not: the cancellation of clients, the man who loved pornography and his smashing and angry outburst? Andrea learning to listen and empathise?

10. A humane film about family, death, grieving, making fresh starts?