Domestic disturbances
In the Bedroom turns a house into a psychological trap
REVIEW
IN THE BEDROOM
Starring Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, Nick Stahl and Marisa Tomei
Written and directed by Todd Field
Opens Friday, January 18
Uptown Screen
The basic lobster trap is composed of a deceptively simple series of compartments. After wandering inside, a lobster soon finds itself stuck "in the bedroom," the main section of the trap from which escape is nearly impossible. Due to the limited size of the bedroom, only two lobsters can fit inside – adding a third leads to battle in which the torn and battered combatants are left unmarketable if not dead.
Director Todd Field’s 2001 Sundance break-out hit, In the Bedroom, transforms a quiet Maine household into a lobster trap writ large. The setup isn’t really all that far out of the ordinary – Dr. Matt Fowler (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife Ruth (Sissy Spacek) frown upon their college-bound son Frank’s (Nick Stahl) relationship with a slightly older single mother, Natalie Strout (Marisa Tomei). Whereas their disapproval is subdued, Natalie’s ex-husband Richard (William Mapother) has somewhat stronger feelings on the topic and the stage is seemingly set for a standard domestic thriller.
In the Bedroom, however, strays from the formula with a sudden unexpected turn into brutal realism that upends the entire film, transforming into something else entirely. As the wheels of justice slowly turn, In the Bedroom shifts gear into a heavy treatise on the nature of loss and revenge. While the film occasionally loses its way – the final quarter is particularly unbelievable – Field’s cross-examination of a family under extreme pressure holds enough truth and depth to remain at least somewhat indelible.
Much has been made of Sissy Spacek’s performance, all precisely measured gestures and tight little frowns. Spacek’s Ruth finds some minor comfort in vehemently scrubbing the dishes or retreating into little-known Eastern European choral pieces, shutting the world out. Wilkinson’s Matt is based just as much on internalized fears and anger, and both he and Spacek carry the film to the point where even the lapses of judgment in the script are considerably lessened. Also, Tomei does her best with the limited screen time she’s given – treated as a catalyst, the character of Natalie is gradually shifted to the background never to reappear.
Before stepping up to the plate as director, Field had already compiled an impressive and varied resumé, ranging from parts in Woody Allen’s Radio Days and Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut to composing the musical score of Ruby in Paradise. On his first feature as a director, he also serves as producer, co-writer and camera operator, making In the Bedroom an undeniably impressive achievement. Consider that the similarly-themed Eye for an Eye – in which a jittery Sally Field is transformed into a gun-toting avenger – was directed by the experienced John Schlesinger, but holds very little of this film's impact and none of its occasional brilliance. Granted, In the Bedroom is overly long in spots, sometimes misguided in what it chooses to show (and also in what it chooses to elide), and finally fizzles out rather than explodes – but given time to develop his focus, along with a fresh bottle of liquid paper and a shiny pair of editing scissors, Field might have the potential to live up to the hype. |
