2017 Blind Spot Series: In The Bedroom
What I knew going in: I had seen bits and pieces of this movie before, just never in the right order.
Matt and Ruth Fowler (Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek) are not thrilled that their college age son, Frank (Nick Stahl) is dating an older woman, Natalie with kids. (Marisa Tomei) Although their relationship is a happy one, Frank is showing signs of wanting to skip out on college, and Natalie has an abusive ex-husband, Richard (William Mapother) who is proving to be a problem.
In The Bedroom is a good film that could've been great. I feel a bit strange saying this, because I think Wilkinson and Spacek are very talented actors, they're just not very exciting ones. After Stahl and Tomei stop appearing on screen consistently, the film ends up dragging a bit. It's not that the story isn't there, because this is a very interesting character study on Matt and Ruth's marriage and lives after tragedy strikes them. But it just felt like it was missing something after starting off so well.
The acting is very good all around, Tomei being my favorite. Wilkinson gets the most to do and carries the film well. The editing was very choppy. I think they were trying to avoid being grittier than they could've been, but the result is that this film that was released in 2001 feels like it could've came from the early 90's. It just needed a bit more polishing to match how strong the story itself is.
Recommended: Yes
Grade: B-
Memorable Quote: "If he's like this now we're gonna be in trouble." - Frank (Nick Stahl)
This sounds interesting, will add it to my watch list.
ReplyDeleteAlso, great new layout!
Thank you! And I hope you like it. :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely hated Tomei here and her ridiculous accent. Not a fan of this movie at all
ReplyDeleteAww really? I didn't think her accent was bad. She sounded like she was from a trashy part of Boston lol.
DeleteI saw this in the theater with my wife and all I recall is that she was terrified of Spacek. I'm not curious enough to revisit it but.....I liked your review! Oh, and hating Tomei? Not cool.
ReplyDeleteTomei is so charming. Was your wife having Carrie flashbacks? lol
DeleteI have this movie in my DVR list. I hope to see it later this year.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like it!
DeleteA group of us went to see this in the theatre when it came out. Part way through this schlock, I looked over to my left and saw 2of my friends slumped in their chairs, one looking at his watch. My third friend was actually sleeping with his mouth wide open. On my right, my ex was staring up at the ceiling. When this was done, I asked if everyone thought it was as boring as I thought it was. My ex said he was so bored he ended up counting the tiles on the ceiling! I mean...how many times can they show Disssy having a cigarette and Tom mowing the lawn or, even more exciting, cutting the hedge.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it's not just me. Tomei and Stahl were truly making this interesting.
DeleteI liked this movie more than you did -- I would have given it an A. :-) I love Wilkinson every moment he's onscreen.
ReplyDeleteHe's good, I just don't find him very exciting.
DeleteI consider this film to be a criminally underrated masterpiece. Sissy Spacek & Tom Wilkinson were both definitely robbed of Oscars. And that score by Thomas Newman is HAUNTING.
ReplyDeleteI saw this movie 2 years ago & it's stuck with me ever since. One scene especially stuck with me because of its shock & its brutality. I think you know which scene that was.
Yeah, I do. I actually thought it was quite tame lol. I must be used to too much gore.
DeleteI agree that it's somewhat tame. I'm used to gore in film as well. But the shock & sheer brutality of it made that scene stick with me. That scene disgusts me to this day. Whenever I watch this film & I see that scene, it's like the first time I saw it.
DeleteIt's certainly the most memorable, IMO.
DeleteIt's a very meditative film and that's not for everyone. Once I adjusted to its rhythm I thought it was a decent film though not one I revisit.
ReplyDeleteMarisa Tomei was very good but then she had the showy role with all the emotion, but she knew how to play it. I didn't find either Sissy or Wilkinson unexciting. Sissy is usually such a warm, expansive performer that the repressive closed off Ruth allowed her to show another facet of her talent. I thought she was great and she should have taken the Oscar for this. Wilkinson was equally good, torn between his controlling wife, who he loves deeply and who is all he now has left, and his need to reach out and make some sense of what's happened.
I found them both very boring despite being good actors. It was just...eh.
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