The Son's Room (la stanza del figlio)

Alright, can someone please walk me through why "la stanza del figlio" is supposedly such a masterpiece? To me, it feels like just another mediocre flick, and I’m having a hard time buying the hype that it was the big winner at Cannes 2001 (you know, the one that snagged the Palma for best film). Honestly, the movie was fine enough while it was just drifting through the daily grind of a typical family—I actually would have preferred if it had just stayed in that lane without all the heavy drama. But that whole tragedy bit felt totally unearned, like it lacked any real justification or deeper point. It felt completely arbitrary, like something pulled out of thin air just for shock value. Was the message supposed to be that a good life can't last, or maybe that you can help everyone else through their struggles while being totally powerless to fix your own mess? Is that really it? Tell me if I'm missing something huge here.

There’s this interview on the DVD where Nanni Moretti—who basically wears every hat imaginable as the lead actor, writer, producer, and director—basically admits he's a total competitor. He says winning is everything to him, and that he beats his own previous records simply because he has this obsessive drive to come out on top. There’s even a scene in the film where he explains this exact mindset to his son—that you have to have that killer instinct—while the kid just wants to play tennis and enjoy himself. The fact that Moretti walked away with the Palma at Cannes just feels like a validation of how hollow his whole philosophy is. Sure, he won, but at what cost to the art?

Well, you really are just like Dawson !! 😁

Jessica Wright said:Man, you are such a total Dawson !! 😁

Forgive my complete lack of clue here, but who are we actually talking about?

Carl Bennett78 said:Forgive my ignorance, but who exactly are we talking about?

Dawson is such a total loser, honestly acting like he thinks he's some kind of Spielberg figure in that overly sentimental, brain-numbing series 'Dawson's Creek.' He’s played by that goofy James van der Beek. Rules of Attraction

Basically, they’re always philosophizing about films—not to mention life itself—yet they can never seem to actually shoot anything smart or interesting. Anything at all.
But the analysis? It's constant. Every single little detail...

Honestly, that whole tragedy just feels completely hollow without any real justification or a point behind it.

Look, Carl Bennett78, the thing is, these kinds of senseless tragedies actually happen in real life. The film illustrates how one single catastrophe can absolutely wreck a perfect life, yet in the end, they manage to pull through and show that life moves on regardless. At least, that’s how I see it—but hey, everyone’s entitled to their own take on a film. My opinion on this movie isn't going to change just because the lead actor has a habit of winning awards. Take Roman Polanski, for example. The guy is a heroin addict who assaulted a minor—basically a total lunatic—but that doesn't mean his films aren't good.

Jessica Wright said:Basically, she’s always overanalyzing movies, and don't even get me started on how she tries to apply all that deep philosophy to real life, yet somehow she can never actually produce anything smart or interesting—hell, anything at all.
But man, the constant analysis goes on forever...

Look, Jessica, I honestly need a translator just to wrap my head around your posts. Are we talking about your obsession with Dawson or what...? Look, honey, this is an American film forum, and we are still talking about the film Sin's room (la stanza del figlio).

Don't you worry about a thing, I'm standing right here while you all keep debating that room.

Carl Bennett78 said:Seriously, can someone please, PLEASE explain to me why "la stanza del figlio" is supposedly such a masterpiece?

I actually really loved the film. I mean, okay, I saw it in theaters about a year ago, but I'm just going off my gut feeling here... 😉
Life—both the beautiful parts and the absolute disasters—just happens. It doesn't always need a grand explanation or some neat little moral at the end... and that's exactly how it works in la stanza del figlio. What really hit home for me was that parallel he draws between actual, real-world struggles and those purely imaginary ones. It’s pure absurdity.
The psychotherapist's whole world basically falls apart, yet he spends all his energy—his supposed "expertise"—wrestling with problems that aren't even real.
Then you have that moment where his suicidal client undergoes this total transformation upon finding out she has cancer. To me, that part really forces you to sit there and actually think about life, what it's worth, and how we're supposed to face it all.

btw, I also thought B. Eno and By This River were great additions to the soundtrack. 🙂

One of our critics described it as an "atheist's take on death."
And honestly? They hit the nail right on the head.👍

I saw the film as a story about destruction that just can't be undone. Despite all those tools he used to try and fix everyone else's lives, he couldn't quite pull himself out of the gutter.

The shared trip to France gave them a temporary sense of closeness, and maybe they can play house for a while, but that innocent happiness shown in the first film is gone for good.

Scars stay with you forever.

I watched it tonight and honestly, it hit me right in the feels.

It’s totally possible that since I’ve dealt with losing someone in my own family, I’m seeing this story through a different lens than someone who hasn't. But I think he did such an amazing job capturing that whole spectrum of grief that just crashes over you when something like that happens.

The only thing is, the ending felt a little... I don't know, empty? Maybe it's just because I was really hoping for some kind of emotional release, like maybe, I don't know, someone would actually find peace in the story. But everything else, especially that soundtrack—🙏

And don't even get me started on how gorgeous Moretti sounds. He's one of those people who just turns language into pure music.🙂