An elegant meditation on mourning, Nanni Moretti’s Palme D’Or winner is a moving and honest account of the death of a loved one which never stoops toward the sickly sentimentality, otherwise known as Robin Williams factor, that typifies the Hollywood treatment of such subject matter.

The Son’s Room sees Italian psychoanalysist Giovanni (Moretti) living a comfortable and downright idyllic existence with his beloved wife Paola (Morante), and two adolescent children; son Andrea (Sanfelice) and daughter Irene (Trinca). Though there’s a minor incident involving a missing school fossil which requires Giovanni to meet with his son’s headmaster, his life is one of pure contentment in contrast to his often demented patients – until one morning, Giovanni recieves a phone-call from one of his patients requesting an immediate house-call. Thus, Giovanni postpones a father/son jog with Andrea, a decision which has ultimately haunting consequences.

The Son’s Room marks a departure for its director and star Nanni Moretti, who is best known for whimsical and semi-documentary efforts Dear Diary (1993) and Aprile (1998). Instead, this offers a portrait of undoubtedly the worst tragedy that can happen to anyone and the treatment is both subtle and devastating. Simple touches, such as the image of father and daughter standing beside a coffin as the undertakers weld it shut, are affecting yet restrained, and The Son’s Room is never extravagantly bleak or depressing despite its subject matter.

It’s difficult to imagine that anyone who sees The Son’s Room will fail to be impressed by its quiet intensity, and the film will surely prove a revelatory experience for anyone who felt that Moretti only makes memorable movie moments when engaging in a bout of Berlusconi bashing.