A rarity in modern cinema, In the Bedroom is a movie for thinking adults that is one of the most thorough yet subtle examinations of violence and its consequences I've ever seen. Tom Wilkerson gives a masterful and restrained performance, and Sissy Spacek and nearly everyone else is uniformly excellent. Although it is a searing and unflinching look at nearly unspeakable grief, it is poignant and thoughtful and even has scenes of humor if you are ready for it. Todd Field's screenplay is one of the most brilliant in recent memory. I really wish we had more mature stuff like this coming out of Hollywood. Powerful films that deal with violence and its aftermath and meaning like this make films like Kill Bill look even more repellent than they already are.
Review of In the Bedroom
