The Keys to the House Movie Review:


This lyrical and emotional Italian drama tells an astonishing story of parenthood and childhood at the moment of connection--when a child becomes an independent person who needs his own set of house keys. It's a beautifully made film--raw, engaging and deeply haunting.

Gianni (Stuart) is a young man who's about to meet his teen son for the first time, escorting him on a train trip to a hospital in Berlin. Paolo (Rossi) has some strong birth disorders--physically and emotionally he's like a precocious young boy. Gianni is won over immediately by Paolo's wit and spirit, but it's not smooth sailing. At the hospital he confides in Nicole (Rampling), whose daughter (Faerovich) has cerebral palsy. Together they gently prod each other, exposing hopes, fears and real frustrations. Then Gianni decides more drastic action is needed.

This is a film about bonding, and director-cowriter Amelio tells the story with a silent stillness that belies the intense emotions that churn under the surface, erupting now and then with real force. It's also not remotely simple. The complex characters are rich with meaning that extends far beyond the circumstances of this story. Paolo's disability is not the point here; it's about dealing with past mistakes and taking a chance at redemption when it's offered. If it's even possible to achieve it. It's also about opening up to someone, to see who they are and what they really mean.

But on the surface it's an almost meek film, gentle and warm. And the performances are strikingly unaffected. The three central actors--Stuart, Rossi and Rampling--are so natural that they're breathtaking to watch. We really believe their inner turmoil, tentative connections, hopefulness and anger. Emotion oozes out of them, and their interrelationships feel almost uncomfortably real, especially when Nicole slices through Gianni's hesitance and guilt with penetrating observations and confessions. In the end, the film is almost impossibly touching--sweet and painful. This is a moving love story between a father and his son ... with a startling sting in its tale.



Rich Cline

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