for those who associate italian cinema with fellini and " high art , " the son's room is an inventive , subtle alternative . 
written by , directed , and starring nanni moretti , it takes us through the slow , complicated path of bereavement . 
slow is the best description for the film at first . 
it takes its time in establishing the habits of what appears to be a normal , happy family . 
father and mother both work but still find the time to support their son and daughter through homework and after school activities . 
they laugh , spend free time together , and reprimand the kids for innocent wrongs with a sigh and soft pat on the shoulder . 
you get the feeling there is open communication and unconditional love amongst the foursome . 
but suddenly , the son is found to be dead after a diving accident . 
the family dynamics begin an unpredictable descent that gives the narrative strength when you least expect it , but can also be trying on the attention span . 
though the film drags and even repeats itself , this can be somewhat excused as influenced by the process of grieving . 
though nanni moretti wore several hats for this production , it doesn't come across as a vanity piece . 
one might wish he hadn't picked the profession of analyst for the father , giovanni ( which he stars as ) , if only because this makes his character's reactions so predictable . 
what saves it is a well written script , with spare dialogue and an eclectic variety of human interaction . 
the potency of the film lies in the recreation of the tiny details of everyday life that alter due to the death of a close relative , or that remind a depressed person of loss . 
you start to take notice of the cracked dishes , ignored when familial bliss was in full swing . 
you remember bonding during the routine jogs around the block , and not necessarily huge events like graduation . 
even better are the role reversals that take place within the household . 
while giovanni and paola ( laura morante ) do check up on their daughter irene ( jasmine trinca ) , there is a sense of being on autopilot . 
not only does irene begin to take care of her own needs more , she'll make her parents breakfast in an attempt to crack their new shells to life around them . 
these scenes provide interesting portrayals of various coping mechanisms , frequently crossing a boundary as to how much you can help yourself versus others during drastic , unexpected change . 
respectfully , gender issues never enter the picture . 
self-propelled isolation is universal in terms of dealing , so moretti intelligently uses this tool to separate the family . 
though giovanni does stop paolo from discussing andrea at a party with friends , there is never a sense that he or she is more stoic , or more correct in the search to restore a sense of a balance to their lives . 
most films that broach the topic of death utilize annoying melodrama , speeches , and conciliatory issues to get the waterworks flowing . 
in contrast , the son's room captures a more realistic depiction of the effects of death on a family by graciously flowing among the five stages of mourning ( denial , depression , anger , bargaining , acceptance ) through each of its main characters . 
it's not the most engaging 100 minutes , but it is certainly easy to relate to .