A calmly-told tale of bereavement with barely a whisper of melodrama, director (and lead actor) Nanni Moretti (We Have a Pope, Mia Madre) unwraps his raw, deeply relatable exploration gently and with heartfelt emotion.
The nuclear Sermonti family are content – a good home in the coastal city of Ancona, he a psychoanalyst, Paola (Laura Morante – Cherry on the Cake, God Willing) an art gallery manager. Their two immensely likeable teenage kids are above average at school. The sudden death of Andrea (Giuseppe Sanfelice) in a scuba diving accident sends their world into turmoil and threatens its very basis.
The Son’s Room is nuanced and moving, exquisite and gentle with quiet performances complementing the story – and winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2001.
Rating: 74%
An Opinion or Two 