The War Zone

REVIEW
Roth's directorial debut is a fully realized, gut-wrenching exposé of a dirty family secret, delivered with lyrical brutality through superbly composed images and an economy of dialogue. The excellent cast imparts understated and well-crafted performances, revealing emotional depth in small, casual moments. The isolation of the windswept coastal region mirrors the family's insularity and detachment from the outside community. They go through the motions of an eerie hypernormalcy, strange silence permeating their shared space, until a chance glance through a window makes further denial impossible for one family member. Roth has artfully constructed a powerful and accomplished exploration of the deadening effect of an oft-told lie. (Unrated version)