Screen Scene

“In the Bedroom” Starring: Sissy Spacek,
Marisa Tomei, Nick Stahl Directed by: Todd Field

“In The Bedroom,” in its most basic form, is a
simple story. As all well-told stories do, it grows more intense as
it progresses.

It is not told as a fairy tale, but as a genuine story with
love, family crisis, revenge and retribution. Writer and director
Todd Field creates characters and a plot that tell of the beauty of
Maine in the summer juxtaposed with a tragic turn of events. What
appears to be the beginning of a quaint little love story is not
what it seems.

Frank Fowler, played by Nick Stahl (“Disturbing
Behavior,” “A Man Without a Face”), is a college
boy home for the summer who has an affair with local single mother
Natalie Strout, played by Marisa Tomei (“My Cousin
Vinny”). Frank’s parents are New York-born Ruth, a
choral music teacher, played by Sissy Spacek (“Carrie,”
“Crimes of the Heart”) and native Maine doctor Matt,
played by Tom Wilkinson.

As Frank is falling in love with Natalie, Ruth has qualms about
Frank’s involvement with a married woman, and subsequently a
family crisis envelops all of the characters.

As the plot intensifies and the characters’ depth grows,
so does the movie’s interest level. Although it gets off to a
slow start, this kind of a foundation is necessary for the in-depth
dynamic character development and constant surprises this film
delivers.

“In the Bedroom” is an emotional journey that starts
out with realistic and typical characters, but through a few
unexpected choices and events, the characters’ lives are
turned upside down.

Sissy Spacek gives an enthralling performance as Ruth in her
transition from a collected to a broken woman. Spacek already won
Best Actress for her role at the Sundance Film Festival, and is in
contention for an Oscar. Every detail is meticulously examined by
Spacek in bringing Ruth and her transition to life, from smoking to
walking and talking habits.

She has one intense scene with Marisa Tomei where all of the
layers of her character begin to unravel, so that viewers can
almost see her development occur. The challenging nature of her
role in its dynamic transition is comparable to the infamously
difficult role of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth.

Overall, the genuine ingenuity of this film makes it worth
seeing. “In the Bedroom” can leave one feeling as
enthusiastic as a little kid at story time.

Emily Pauker

“The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary
Antarctic Expedition” Starring: Liam Neeson Directed by:
George Butler

Depending on one’s idea of a good time, being stranded in
the middle of the ocean for almost two years with only 27 other men
to keep you company probably doesn’t sound that
appealing.

It might not be a dream vacation, but it is the intriguing
premise of director George Butler’s latest documentary,
“The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic
Expedition.”

In 1914, Shackleton bravely set out from England with a crew of
27 men with the hopes of reaching Antarctica and being the first to
cross the treacherous terrain on foot in order to claim the land
for Britain. On the way there, his mission was thwarted by numerous
obstacles, including becoming trapped in pack ice, possible mutiny,
and the ever-looming threat of starvation.

When only a single day’s sail away from their anxiously
anticipated arrival in Antarctica, the Endurance became trapped in
an endless sea of pack ice. The crew was forced to remain there for
10 months until the ice melted. When it did, instead of providing a
safe passage for the vessel, the ice shifted inward, crushing the
boat.

Luckily, both the entire crew as well as the photographs and
film footage taken by crew photographer Frank Hurley remained safe
after this disaster. The crew remained marooned on the ice for five
months.

As the ice grew dangerously thin in the ever-warming weather,
the crew took to the lifeboats, eventually landing at Elephant
Island. This desolate outcrop would come to be their home for over
four months. The crew of the Endurance was forced to struggle for
survival for almost two years while Shackleton figured out how to
lead his crew to safety.

In this film, Butler brings Ernest Shackleton and his amazing
story of determination and survival to life using the original
footage taken on the actual expedition, as well as modern footage
taken from recent expeditions to the Antarctic by Butler and his
crew. The images are expertly woven together to tell the story,
lending a ring of authenticity and immediacy to a story that took
place over 80 years ago.

The prospect of subjecting an audience to a documentary on a
seemingly ancient and irrelevant expedition to the Antarctic may
seem torturously dull to some, but this film will surprise even the
most skeptical cinematic thrill seeker.

This is not just any documentary about snow, snow and maybe a
penguin in the Antarctic. This is a captivating story of ingenuity,
a touching story of faith and an inspiring story of determination
and survival.

“The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic
Expedition” is a film that is exciting in its retelling of a
timeless story of survival. The images of nature in the Antarctic
are breathtaking, and the harrowing tale of Shackleton’s
experiences are told with an air of historical reverence. Whether
you see this movie out of a desire for watching history, an
interest in the Antarctic, or just the love of a good story, it is
definitely worth checking out.

Katie Leff