​FILMS

room

You'll find room in your heart to love "Room".

2016 review number 22:

Room: (Drama): 90 out of 100: A beautiful, harrowing experience that will awaken your emotions, Room is a thought-provoking study on how a mother and child react to their claustrophobic surroundings along with their readjustment to daily living when they are in the outside world. Even hardened moviegoers will find something that will unsettle them. It's a tale that is gripping and powerful with elements of suspense that make it difficult to take your eyes off the screen. It is certainly the best drama of the past 12 months. 

 

Joy (Brie Larson) and her five-year-old son, Jack (Jacob Tremblay), live in a squalid shed they call 'Room'. Joy has been held captive by Old Nick for seven years since being kidnapped and Jack is the product of the many forced sex sessions she's had with Old Nick (Sean Bridgers). She doesn't allow Old Nick to have any contact with Jack so she keeps him in the wardrobe while Old Nick has sex with her. To make Jack's life more fulfilling, she tells him that only the contents of 'Room' are real while everything exists only on the television screen he sees. When Jack and Ma, as Jack calls his mother, leave Room they must learn to adapt to their different surroundings. Not only do they have to contend with their new environment but they also have to deal with interactions with other people including Joy's mother (Joan Allen) and father (William H. Macy) and her mother's new husband (Tom McCamus). 

 

Based on her own novel, Emma Donoghue has written an incredible piece of work that demands your attention. The first half of the film brilliantly captures the dynamics between Ma and Jack in the tiny room with only a skylight providing a window to the outside world. Only one other character enters their room and that is Old Jack. Even with three characters in a minimal space, Donoghue has created a world which is more exciting and tense than many Hollywood thrillers. The focus then shifts to the uncomfortable environment of the bigger, outside world where Ma and Jack must assimilate with what is foreign to them, especially Jack who only knows what he has seen on television and read in books for his mother has created a perfect world for him while they were in their room. 

 

Although extensive close-ups are not my favourite filming technique, Lenny Abrahamson has superbly used this device to explore the minds of the characters. Every expression is captured to make this the ideal character study. The room might seem small but his camera angles and movements provide the room with a life of its own, essential in creating the nuances of the characters. The second half of the film might not be as powerful as the first half but it's still effective in demonstrating how difficult it is for people to acclimatise to their new surroundings. 

 

The quality of acting is brilliant. Brie Larson will win the Oscar for her marvellous portrayal of the mother who must stay strong for the sake of her child. You feel every bit of pain she feels, that's how close to the bone she is in projecting her emotions. What is even more remarkable is the performance of Jacob Tremblay. He might be turning ten years old this year but he did come across as a five year old with his speech and actions. He should have also been nominated for an Oscar. The supporting actors such as veterans Allen and Macy do a great job of interacting with the two principal actors but all of the kudos deserve to go to Larson and Tremblay.

 

Room is deserving of all the accolades it is receiving. It is a quality psychological drama which must be seen if you are a cinephile or just an average moviegoer. It's a credit to all involved for producing a movie that will be remembered for a very long time. 

 

Starring Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, Tom McCamus and William H. Macy 

(117 minutes)

Parental advice: Adult themes

Additional scene during or after credits: No

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPZqF_TPTGs (Movie trailer)

 

(Reviewed on Friday 5th February, 2016)

For my latest reviews, go to this link: http://mlaimlai2.wix.com/magical-movie-review