Sans issue

Every once in awhile, a filmmaker comes along and adds a pitch-perfect sensibility to a compelling story, well-written script, and perfect cast. This has happened with In the Bedroom. Though I saw, and enjoyed, director Todd Field's 2nd feature, Little Children, when it came out a few years back, I was truly astounded by In the Bedroom.

At a time when Americans' tastes in films are getting more and more juvenile, In the Bedroom is that rare film; one aimed adults. The characters and story line is compelling, the shots kept simple, yet beautiful, and the feel of the film is as real as most you will see. In the Bedroom would fit in perfectly with the some of the films from golden age of the 70s film-making. Unfortunately, we are seeing this less and less of those types of films these days.

It is hard to find a false moment, whether in dialogue or behavior, in this film. It deals with circumstances that we hear about every day, yet is no less captivating because of it. We are not clobbered over the head with the moments we are meant to feel deeply, yet they are apparent and often devastating to watch. There is an old saying, "you know the truth when you see it", and that certainly applies to this film. There was a knot in my stomach the entire first 30 minutes of the film, as director Field slowly builds to something you know is inevitable, and almost can't bare to watch.

Excellent performances turned in by Spacek, Wilkinson, Tomei, as well as all the supporting players. Proof, once again, that actors often make some of the finest directors.

Todd Field's IN THE BEDROOM is an artistic and realistic portrait of domestic trouble in small-town America. Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson star as Ruth and Matt Fowler, the parents of a recent high school graduate, Frank (Nick Stahl), who has an affair with a married woman, Natalie (Marisa Tomei). A tragic event near the beginning of the film seems to stunt its action and dialogue, allowing the film to change into a largely visual piece based on memories, feelings, and silent communication; while the film's slow-moving camera, soft sunny lighting, and cautious pacing give it a resonating intensity.

Set in coastal Maine, the Fowlers are a well-liked family with simple, straightforward values. Dr. Fowler has his own small medical practice. Mrs. Fowler directs the chorus at the high school. Frank is a good kid who is working on the fishing docks for the summer, waiting for college in the fall. Frank falls into a summer romance with Natalie, an older woman with two young sons and a creepy, lurking husband (William Mapother) from whom she is separated. The relationship is worrisome to Mr. and Mrs. Fowler, but they want to be supportive of their son so they gently nudge him to think about the bigger picture, without being overbearing. But when the unthinkable happens, Mr. and Mrs. Fowler come face to face with their worst nightmare. Quietly, calmly, and with the most logic they can muster, they begin a dark and dangerous psychological journey. The result, reinforced by stunning performances from Wilkinson and Spacek, is a pensive, penetrating, and utterly believable story.

The use of sound in the film was interesting. Background noise was used to tell the story as much as as the filming angles. This gave the movie a compelling dimension of claustrophobia for the main characters as though everything was closing in on them.

The sound aspect perfected a sense of distraction or lack of concentration that many people may feel after a tragedy. Of course the obvious scene is where the Dr. Fowler is speaking to the DA. The focus of the camera captures the movement of the DA's mouth, then the jingling of the keys in the DA's pocket. Another not-so-obvious scene is when Dr. Fowler visits Natalie in the country store. The footsteps, the creaking of the floor boards, and the beeping noises from the cash register all create the sense that both Natalie and Dr. Fowler want to lash out at creators of those noises.

I really liked "In the Bedroom" the first time I saw it. It's a movie with a monster who does not look like a monster. I recently watched the ending and appreciated the craft of the entire crew, especially the director in the choices he made. For me the movie is not about the crimes committed or who are your friends when times are bad, rather it's about that little monster that we have inside of us that when given the chance will choose for us to be and do unthinkable things.

There are a lot movies that I've seen that never warrant a second look, much less a third or fourth. That's because the director has played all of his/her cards right up front. Once you seen the movie once there is nothing else to see. With "In the Bedroom" I noticed the quiet, there was no constant music theme interrupting my thoughts. I noticed the performances of Wilkinson, Spacek and Marisa Tomei.. The Tomei role intrigued me. I remembered her best as Lisa Bonet cocky room mate in the first season of TV sitcom "A Different World". I noticed the crabs and the town, how there seemed be no diversity.

My second look, had me pay closer attention to monster, played with perfection by Sissy Spacek. Even in her mid fifties Sissy Spacek is cute and we all had cute monsters in our life. Monsters are things that a far more relentless then we are. Monsters get what they want, with out ever compromising. They are unreasonable, like Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" or Daniel Day-Lewis, in "There Will Be Blood". Movies where the monster wins leaves the audience dissatisfied, but will to go back and take another look. My most recent look got me paying attention to the scenery, how beautiful old towns, bay views, dense forest and sea ports are. That no matter how beautiful nature is, it is relentless and will get its way.

First-time director Todd Field's "In the Bedroom" is a dark and disturbing film which is both a joy and a trial to sit through. Recent high school graduate Nick Stahl is having a little bit of fun during his last summer of freedom. He is seeing Marisa Tomei (Oscar-nominated), a woman twice his age who has young children and is separated from her shady husband (William Mapother in an appropriately chilly performance). Mother and music teacher Sissy Spacek (Oscar-nominated) worries about the relationship while father and town doctor Tom Wilkinson (also Oscar-nominated) shrugs off the partnership as a simple summer fling. When tragedy strikes, the simple life in Camden, Maine turns into chaos for all involved. "In the Bedroom" is one of the roughest films I have ever watched. It is a movie that is thought-provoking in the fact that everything seems so normal and yet darkness looms overhead for the primary characters in the film. The fact that the film takes place in rural Maine just makes it that much more scary. When one thinks of situations from the movie occurring, few think of a place like Maine. Much like "Fargo", "In the Bedroom" shows that bad elements are everywhere, even in the most unlikely of places. However, be warned that "In the Bedroom" does not go for the black humor that "Fargo" went for. This is a film that will chill you to the bone. It is a must-see and easily one of the top five or ten films of 2001. 5 stars out of 5.