In the Bedroom

Rating:
Summary: Oscar nominated.....now I know why!
Review: Well deserved nominated film "In the Bedroom" blew me away. Todd Field directs his first film outstandingly and gets amazing Oscar nominated performances from Spacek, Wilkinson, and Tomei.

Nick Stahl plays 21 year old Frank involved with Natalie (Tomei), a soon-to-be divorced mother of 2 boys, with a quick tempered husband. The summer is going by with barbecues and children playing and seagulls calling. Then tragedy strikes and everyone's world is turned upside down. As mother (Spacek) and father (Wilkinson) are left wondering what happened and what to do next, you see them turn away from each other and the lives they knew. But just as things are beginning to come together for them, Field shifts the picture and you find yourself watching as the mood changes and things change pace until the final climax ending.

Field's cinematograpy was excellent, bringing music and image together perfectly. Some scenes were shot in such unusual ways--reflections, odd angles, time lapse. Also his choice of additional actors was superb as they brought the genuine feel of Camden, Maine to the screen.

I would highly recommend this Oscar nominated picture for it's intense drama and incredible acting.

Rating:
Summary: Quietly Disturbing.
Review: "In the Bedroom" is a quietly disturbing movie about the Fowlers, a Maine couple played by Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson. They have a young, college-age son who's having a "summer fling" with an older woman (Marisa Tomei), who can't seem to shake her bothersome ex (William Mapother, cousin of Tom Cruise). When the Fowlers' son is murdered, the parents are distraught, outraged, and eventually point fingers at each other. The legal system doesn't seem to be much help, either. The rest of the movie finds both parents struggling to move on, but the memories of their dead son haunt them at every turn. Saying more will reveal spoilers which I won't mention. Spacek, Wilkinson, and Tomei give intense, career-best performances that richly deserved their Oscar nominations. I was most impressed by Wilkinson, a British actor who reaches deeply into his New England role. But the spotlight ultimately belongs to director Todd Field, who sucessfully directed the film which could have easily been a generic made-for-Lifetime TV movie. "In the Bedroom" is a dialogue-driven drama that has minimal action and may be too dry for some tastes. But if you're looking for a movie that will shake your foundations without resorting to cheap thrills, this film will do the job.

Rating:
Summary: Lackluster
Review: Sure this film has some nice performances and is elegantly filmed, but I'm not going to shower it with praises just for that.Now, I warn you this film is extremely boring.No, not slow paced.Don't confuse slow paced with boring.That is like saying a slow song is boring.No, not true.One can be fast paced and boring.This film, has no pace, it is just BORING.Do we really need countless shots that last for minutes at a time of the characters sitting alone in rooms, staring at the walls, or fifteen minute fishing scenes????Maybe that wouldn't be such a problem if there was a gripping story to back all that up.But there just isn't.The son gets killed, and the parents grieve for the next three fourths of the film. Then, in the last fifteen minutes,the dad goes out and gets revenge.THATS IT. Not only is the premise not too original, the film never grabs you. It never makes you stop and feel all that much, it never becomes the intense and emotional film it was deemed to be.The whole thing just feels sort of half-baked.You want to feel right there in the moment, in the pain, in those charcters' hearts and minds. But you just can't because the film never lets loose and allows any intensity, or emotion through.

Sissy Spacek is average.Her acting is good, but its nowhere near the line of "best actress of the year stuff".uh uh. No way. I could never really reach out to her character. Throughout the whole film,there was really no presence felt from her, she was just there. Tom Wilkinson did give a great, honest performance, and was perhaps the one thing that made me feel any sort of grief for the family's loss. Marisa Tomei never gets developed.We see her fondling with the son, then we see her scream after he gets murdered, and then she just vanishes.The supporting actors were good, but not spectacular.

This film tries way too hard to be low key and "realistic".I just found it boring, and hard to sit through.Despite a strong performance from Tom Wilkinson, I cant really think of a single reason that would make me recommend this film.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Finest American Films in Years
Review: Repeated viewings of IN THE BEDROOM, whether they are in the theater or on the now available DVD, only serve to reinforce the initial impression that this film is one of the finest complete creations to come out of Hollywood in a long time. Beginning with Andre Dubus' story 'Killings', to the screenplay, to the subtleties of director Todd Fields, to the cinematography (the extraordinary opening sequences in the fields of hay with the towering trees' noisy leaves setting the scene for the sensitive love rendezvous), to the exemplary performances by Marisa Tomei, Nick Stahl, Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson plus a supporting cast of fine actors, to one of the most brilliant musical scores ever created for a movie - this little film has everything. The idea of introducing the title in an early conversation about catching lobsters, of using the Balkan a cappella songs to wind through the tale, of addressing a tough subject for most audiences and doing it all with such finesse and aplomb is staggering. For this viewer this was easily the best film of 2001. I hope Fields will regroup this amazing cast and production crew and give us another film of this quality.

Rating:
Summary: Best movie of 2001--no matter what the nit-pickers may say
Review: (This review is a version of an article I submitted to the October issue of my high school newspaper, "The Tattler".)

The Fowlers are a pretty average family in Maine. Matt (played by Tom Wilkinson) is the town doctor who loves the sea, and Ruth (Sissy Spacek) is the choir leader at the town school. They begin to get concerned when their son Frank (Nick Stahl) strikes up a relationship with Natalie (Marisa Tomei), an older woman who is a mother of two. Suddenly, a terrible tragedy leaves their relationship destroyed forever, and the rest of the film revolves around the Fowlers' ability to cope with this tragedy. Over time, tension builds and hatred settles within the Fowlers, ultimately leading to a harrowing and unforgettable finale.

I've seen four out of the five films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar of 2001 ("Moulin Rouge" being the only exception), and although I didn't *dislike* any of those other three films, this little independent film outshines them all. Despite its simple storyline and low budget, In the Bedroom explodes with raw emotion and is possibly the most powerful film I have ever seen.

The movie's characters are just suburban people and its tragedy-driven theme of dysfunctional family relationships has been depicted before in other films, so there lies a great challenge in making this film something memorable, credible, riveting, disturbing, and deeply moving--all at the same time. But director Todd Field does so, and never before have I seen it done so well. Slowly but surely, the film draws the viewer into the Fowlers' lives. It takes its time to develop the storyline and the relationships within the families, rather than rushing right to the ending. This pacing allows viewers to care more about the characters and really share their pain. Although the film is somewhat slow at times, this development of the characters, along with a brilliant script, keeps the viewer watching with uninterrupted attention even with a noticeable lack of action.

Masterful cinematography adds more to the quiet, dark mood of the film. My estimate is that at least 80% of the film is shot using still-motion hand cinematography. Particularly noteworthy are the opening scenes of children running and laughing with the trees rustling in the wind, and several shots in which the camera's subject is seen only in a mirror. Background music is almost non-existent, but when it's there it's a very quiet piano tune or string melody'again adding a moody touch to the film. And the use of Balkan chants throughout the film is simply brilliant!

But the film would be nothing without good performances to make the characters credible, and this film's cast is certainly no exception. Spacek, Wilkinson, and Tomei were all nominated for their roles, and rightly so; all of them are absolutely superb. All three of these roles were quite challenging, and required the ability to express emotions ranging from fear to anger to loneliness. I'm not sure if Wilkinson did a better job than Russell Crowe in "A Beautiful Mind", but he did at least as well. Stahl gives another excellent performance in his role, in which he expresses aggression in some scenes and timidity in others.

And how can I forget the ending. No one will be breathing during the last ten minutes of the film. Even after the film ends, the viewer is left standing in the rain, knowing that the hatred still doesn't end where the film does.

This is a film that grabs your heart, rips it out of your body, and then eats it while it's still palpatating. It travels at its own pace and is certainly not for everyone, and most casual moviegoers who want to see an Oscar-nominated film will be better off seeing "The Lord of the Rings". But for anyone who wants to see a superb example of directors and actors at the top of their form, this is a must-see. "In the Bedroom" is an astounding little piece of filmmaking, and as far as I know, there's nothing else like it.

Rating:
Summary: so familiar, it's compelling...
Review: reading other reviews of this movie, most critism is based on the fact that yes, this movie is slow-paced and doesn't follow the obligatory film course of "grab your attention-climax-pull everything together into a cute little knot," but instead documents - in almost the most classy and breathtaking way i've ever witnessed - actual human emotion, and a situation not normally taken on from this perspective. this movie is very mature and will not be digested well by those who aren't, but if anything, most anyone should be able to enjoy the scenery and simple artistic value in this film. also, the acting was all very well done - each character was well developed and consistent. personally, i thought wilkinson was incredibly charming, and all of the other actors seemed perfect for their part. although you may not want to watch this film again and again, those who can appreciate it will be affected by it, and most likely impressed.

Rating:
Summary: In the Bedroom and Into the Fire
Review: After viewing this movie twice, I came to the conclusion that this movie is pointless. The New England location shots are excellent, and the cast is exceptional (Tom Wilkinson-THE FULL MONTY/ Sissy Spacek- COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER). However, the story and its jolting climax (like something out of THE SOPRANOS) were totally out of sync. Frank Fowler (Nick Stahl) is a part-time lobster fisherman about to embark on a college education. However,he gets sidetracked by getting involved with an older woman ,Natalie Strout (Marisa Tomei) who is a mother of two and a soon-to-be divorcee. Everyone (mainly the father and mother- Wilkinson & Spacek as Matt and Ruth) is suspect of the relationship but they tolerate it except for the estranged husband, Richard Strout (William Mapother) who ends up killing Frank. The character of Frank Fowler is written haphazardly. One moment he seems naive about the relationship, and in the next he's (the main complaint to this reviewer) very smug about it to the point of flaunting the relationship in front of everyone, especially his mother. Then the aftermath of the murder is when the movie comes to a halt. The film is slow and leisurely all ready. Yet, after the murder, there are a patchwork of scenes some of which have no dialogue, and the movie seems to drag even more. Perhaps, the filmgoer is supposed to grieve along with the parents or that these scenes are to clear the palette to set up the next phase of the film. This is because, out of nowhere, Matt acting like a detective does a background check on his son's murderer and then finally becomes judge, jury, and executioner. This is where the movie fails and the impact did not fit the rest of the movie. Two movies that come to mind that had plot choices that affected the credibilty of the story are AN AMERICAN BEAUTY, and UNFAITHFUL. Both movies divided its audiences. The characters that we do care about suddenly do something that is not supposed to be part of their make up and it throws the whole movie off. That is part of the failure of 'BEDROOM' (or is that part of the success?). The movie may stick in your mind, but not in a good way. Note: Good to see actress Karen Allen (RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, STARMAN) in a small cameo role.

Rating:
Summary: so familiar, it's compelling...
Review: reading other reviews of this movie, most critism is based on the fact that yes, this movie is slow-paced and doesn't follow the obligatory film course of "grab your attention-climax-pull everything together into a cute little knot," but instead documents - in almost the most classy and breathtaking way i've ever witnessed - actual human emotion, and a situation not normally taken on from this perspective. this movie is very mature and will not be digested well by those who aren't, but if anything, most anyone should be able to enjoy the scenery and simple artistic value in this film. also, the acting was all very well done - each character was well developed and consistent. personally, i thought wilkinson was incredibly charming, and all of the other actors seemed perfect for their part. although you may not want to watch this film again and again, those who can appreciate it will be affected by it, and most likely impressed.

Rating:
Summary: One word: Garbage!
Review: I had high expectations for this film due to all the hype behind it, but after ten minutes of viewing, I decided that "In The Bedroom" was nothing more than formula put to film , with no more substance than a subplot for "All My Children".

Here's the storyline: A fickle, rich, self-absorbed kid has a summer fling with a struggling, n'er do well, self absorbed hairdresser before he goes off to college. Things get complicated after personalities and family arrive on the scene. After that, there's about an hour of meaningless dialogue, and establishing shots of Sissy Spacek smoking cigarettes. The film ends abruptly after the rich kid's father does something that could aptly be termed "not nice". Which might be a shocking ending under other circumstances, but at that point, who cares?

Sound like something you'd want to see again and again?

Apparently, not a lot of people thought they would. As of this writing, a used dvd of "In The Bedroom" can be purchased on Amazon.com for about $2.50.

On the other hand, someone (Like maybe, an English 101 instructor or maybe your aunt Nurleen) might really get off on this. In that case, break out the popcorn and generic Cola from your local grocery store and have a low-rent party!

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece.
Review: The confidence with which Field organises his material is little short of breathtaking, yet there is nothing flashy or exhibitionist about the movie. All the stylistic tropes are buried beneath the surface. It looks simple - the tale of a family tragedy and its consequences - yet its execution and orchestration are sophisticated in the extreme. It is apparent that Field has not only studied the masters of cinematic understatement, such as Ozu and Bergman, but that he fully understands their processes. Consequently, this is a film that lives beyond its two hours. In some ways, Field's achievement is such a perfectly consummated marriage of intent and execution that he need never make another movie. I would not be alone, I think, in hoping he will make many more.