La chambre tranquille

I was glad to notice a movie by Rolf de Heer in the TV guide, since I really liked his "Bad Boy Bubby". But this was a totally different movie. It's about a girl who decides not to speak to her parents anymore to get them closer together since their marriage is not what it once was. But what I really wanted to point out is the use of colors in this movie.

I didn't see it at first but there are two main colors used to indicate the mood of the people. Blue points out a very sad mood, whereas red points out the opposite, happiness. Notice the extremely red sweater the girl is suddenly wearing near the end of the movie...

I got "The Quiet Room" on the basis of the cover in the video store. It was a risk and a risk that was absolutely worth taking.

There are few films that attempt to understand the thinking of a kid. There are even fewer films that have an actor that can portray it. In this film there are both.

There is nothing cutesy here. The girl, a seven year old, has decided not to speak because of the conflict between her parents. That's essentially it. But there is so much in the honesty of the child's monologue that resonates with any person who has been a child trying to understand the irrational world of grownups.

This film is brilliant.

1st watched 10/15/1999 - 8 out of 10(Dir-Rolf De Heer): Excellent story of a child's perspective on life with parents who are having a hard time making things work.Definetly not a hollywood movie, but rather a slice of real life.Why can't us Americans make more time for movie's like this?(This film is Australian made.)

This movie is GREAT! It has a very unique point of view, learning about divorce through the eyes of a child. The audience is given the ability to read the childs mind, in a sense, because she is unable to speak. Very much worth watching!!

I found a used copy of this on ebay and bought it because I saw Bad Boy Bubby (one of Rolf's earlier films) and loved it. While it was completely different, I enjoyed it just as much as I did Bubby.

I've read other users complain of how De Heer spells out everything in his films and doesn't give the viewers a chance to pick up on things for themselves... When this movie started, I felt the same way but soon got used to it and was able to look past it. The film is about a girl who decided to quit talking, but we hear narration through out the film, answering all of her parents questions, etc. More silence might have made for a better film, but it also could have made it a bit more boring. It did drag a bit as is, but the girl was great in the movie (even her stupid rhymes) and I couldn't stop watching.

Being a child of divorce, one of the fight scenes hit a little close to home. I remember feeling exactly as the girl did when it happened in my family, covering my head trying to block it out, crying etc. This movie took me right back to those times, like it or not.

I liked how none of the characters had names and also how small the cast was. The movie works because of how simple it was. I'm curious to see more of Rolf's films now, too bad none of the rental stores here carry any of his stuff.