A Room and a Half, or a Sentimental Journey to the Homeland

Opening with the telephone ringing in a dilapidated apartment in St. Petersburg, the action in A ROOM AND A HALF then switches to the caller in New York City. Poet, philosopher, artist, and Nobel Laureate in Literature (1987) Joseph Brodsky is trying to get in touch with his parents and, with the sound of the distant ringing phone, he is launched into an avalanche of flashbacks and memories of his childhood. He decides to take a voyage back to Russia, the country from which he was exiled in 1972. The trip is both literal and representative as each part of the journey home reminds him of another chapter or event from his youth. A ROOM AND A HALF is an artistic masterpiece, a feast for the eyes and imagination. Director Khrzhanovsky delightfully and skillfully pulls out the creative stops. He seamlessly blends still photos, video, animation, and even paper cutouts to masterfully recount time Brodsky spent with his mother and father, all-the-while providing a lens through which to view the history of Russia during some of its most significant years. The film serves as a wonderful homage to the poet's life, work, and relationships with his doting parents. (In Russian with subtitles) – C.C.P.