Room
After five-year-old Jack and his mother escape from the enclosed
surroundings that Jack has known his entire life, the boy makes a
thrilling discovery.
Director:Lenny Abrahamson
Writers:Emma Donoghue (screenplay), Emma Donoghue (based on the novel by)
Stars:Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers
Storyline
ROOM tells the extraordinary story of Jack, a spirited 5-year-old who is
looked after by his loving and devoted mother. Like any good mother, Ma
dedicates herself to keeping Jack happy and safe, nurturing him with
warmth and love and doing typical things like playing games and telling
stories. Their life, however, is anything but typical--they are
trapped--confined to a windowless, 10-by-10-foot space that Ma has
euphemistically named Room. Ma has created a whole universe for Jack
within Room, and she will stop at nothing to ensure that, even in this
treacherous environment, Jack is able to live a complete and fulfilling
life. But as Jack's curiosity about their situation grows, and Ma's
resilience reaches its breaking point, they enact a risky plan to
escape, ultimately bringing them face-to-face with what may turn out to
be the scariest thing yet: the real world.
User Reviews
Room is a harrowing
thriller, but not in the traditional sense of the word. It deals with a
dark subject matter and the first half of the film can be quite
disturbing. Yet director Lenny Abrahamson (Frank) has adapted the
best-selling novel with grace and grandeur. Here is a film so
artistically unique and deviant, chock full of genuine emotion thanks to
two outstanding performances, that isn't afraid to take risks and
surprise at every turn.
Based on the novel by Emma Donoghue, Room
introduces us to Ma and Jack, a mother and son held captive in a garden
shed. As we learn more about their captivity, their world becomes
clearer and clearer to us. They live by a routine, have names for every
object in room, and Ma must be careful as her son grows older and more
curious.
The film is structured into two halves, and by now it's
no spoiler that the second half deals with their readjustment into the
outside world, and Jack's first time outside of room. The film is
thematically complex, yet never overwhelming. At its core it's about
motherhood, but Jack's unique upbringing complicates things.
Director
Lenny Abrahamson is no stranger to the strange, and with Room he's made
a masterpiece of filmmaking. The entire idea of 'room,' the abstract
concept of space, is ever-present in the production. In their bubble of
room, Ma and Jack are restricted, as evident by Abrahamson's close
angles and tight shots. The small space allows for high concept
filmmaking, and when they get out of room, it only gets better, with a
new color palette and experimental camera angles through Jack's eyes.
The entire film is seen through the eyes of this child, and it's genius.
What I loved about the book was its focus on Jack and how he adjusts to
seeing this new world for the first time, and the movie never loses
sight of that.
I wrote about the pressure placed on child actors
in my review for the incredible Beasts of No Nation, and Jacob Tremblay
fits like a glove. Like Abraham Attah, he isn't a child actor, but an
actor who just happens to be of a younger age. His wide eyes and
expressive thoughts are very believable, and when he sees the outside
world for the first time, it's a thing of beauty. Tremblay has brilliant
chemistry with Brie Larson, and for one second I never doubted her
devotion to him. As Ma faces frustrating upon leaving room, from her
parents, doctors, and the media, she never forgets her son Jack, and
always puts his wellbeing first. Larson taps into this character, one
that undergoes a stunning transformation as she basically lost seven
years of her life being locked up. Her performance will blow you away.
The
best actors are the ones able to transport you into their characters'
own universes, no matter how isolated from society they happen to be.
Larson, Tremblay, and Joan Allen all have a tremendous range of
emotional ability and are able to sell you on their story not just for
two hours, but for an entire lifetime. With Room, Abrahamson goes the
extra mile with his direction, and director of photography Danny Cohen
keeps all eyes on Jack. The film asks us to examine how we view the
world and how this viewpoint is shaped by our nurtured upbringing. The
result is a breathtaking experience brought to life, one you won't soon
forget.
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