I guess 'grim' and 'sombre' aren't words exactly destined to get the masses swarming to their local multiplex, so it's scant surprise that the Oscar-nominated drama In The Bedroom failed to make much of an impact at the box-office. But that's no reason not to catch up with it in the comfort of your own home, as it's now available for DVD rental. I mean, come on did you ever think you'd see the day when burly Brit actor Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek would make a credible cinematic couple (as they do here, in a relationship tested by the tragic consequences of a relationship between their son and Marisa Tomei's single mum)?

The first third of the film, where the plot is steadily set up, is almost too realistic in its slow pacing, but it's worth sticking with for the middle section where the fallout from the drama allows the actors to deliver the fireworks that earned them their nominations. Then there's the remorseless final act which for once I just didn't see coming, and that's always an additional bonus. Probably not one to watch on your own if you're already feeling depressed, though.