In The Bedroom

Review by By Clint Morris

Some films cross a fine line between being either a dramatic complex feature or being merely a maximised version of a play with few sets and few leads. One such film is In the Bedroom, a centralized family drama mixing a powerful cocktail of drama, tension and thrills - but rarely stepping outside of its claustrophobic circle.

Zoom in on a small town. Everything seems Perfect. Father Matt (Tom Wilkinson) is a content doctor, his wife Ruth (Spacek) a blissful soul conducting choir and a mother. Son Frank (Nick Stahl) is rosy red too. He is having a romance with the sweeter but much older Natalie (Tomei), and although they're not exactly headed for the altar it's fastidious. Like a cardigan losing it's buttons though, Pleasantville is about to get a shake-up.

Natalie's estranged husband (William Mapother) is still inadvertently hanging around, making her life, her two boys and new boyfriend's a living hell. One night, he comes a knocking for Natalie, only to be greeted by protective young Frank - Frank is shot and dies.

Two families lives are then flipped upside down, chewed on and spat out. Matt and Ruth Fowler become a couple so grief ridden they lose all respect for one another and the communication that once existed has departed. Natalie is also a former shadow of herself, immersed in guilt and anger.

In The Bedroom, as it draws closer to it's finale, ignites a revengeful streak in Matt, whose kind doctor contemplates payback on the man that murdered his son.

Todd Field's film is a showcase for the performers. Tom Wilkinson, previously seen in British film The Full Monty and as the token villain in Rush Hour, is very convincing as Matt Fowler, complete with American accent and personality. In his brief part, Nick Stahl also shines. He is so real in the role, we too believe his love for Natalie is nothing but genuine.

And as Natalie, Marisa Tomei is a revelation. Proving she's more than just a pretty face - Tomei provides a great range of emotion in her role, erasing all memory of her whimsical Barbie turn in My Cousin Vinny. It will set her career back on track.

In the Bedroom is a film with real people. Not for a moment are we looking at actors on screen. But having said that, some of these actors aren't prominent enough. The best thing in the movie, Marisa Tomei, mysteriously disappears from the screen about ¾ way through, with no resolution for her personal dilemma.

Pre-packaged like a play, In the Bedroom will win acclaim for it's talent and screenplay, but doesn't have the universal appeal that it really needs. In some ways, Sean Penn's The Crossing Guard, tackling a similar theme, reached far more people.

3 out of 5

In The Bedroom
Cast: Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, Marisa Tomei, Nick Stahl, William Mapother.
Director: Todd Field.
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