Hands down, I have not felt so much emotion from a movie since I was 13-years-old watching Titanic for the very first time. What I experienced while watching Room was a combination of gut-wrenching sorrow, enthusiastic triumph, and sympathetic love all wrapped up in a tightly packaged 118 minutes. Already touting Oscar buzz, and rightfully so, Room is one of those special films that gets everything right- from phenomenal performances to ingenious storytelling and visceral camerawork. Films like this don’t come in spades. If there is one movie to see this weekend, heck- this year, make sure it is Room.
Brie Larson delivers one of the strongest performances of her career as Ma, a victim of a kidnapping who has been forced to create a home out of the petty 10″x 10″ woodshed where she is being held captive. The film begins on the morning of her son Jack’s (Jacob Tremblay) 5th birthday. Jack doesn’t know of life outside of their room, or “Room” as it’s so innocently named, and Ma has purposefully kept it that way. She creates a vast and exciting wonderland inside this tiny space; from telling stories to coming up with creative rituals to pass the time and intellectually stimulate him. Jack’s sense of wellbeing and happiness are all Ma cares about, however, she knows that the two of them can’t stay locked in Room forever. One night Ma hatches a risky plan that could either result in living happily ever after in the real world or risk never seeing each other again.
We follow Ma’s emotional journey so closely that we may begin to lose ourselves in her struggles as a mother, and relate to her even if we don’t have children ourselves.
Imagine never knowing anyone other than your mother. Not knowing what a dog looks like, what rain is, or how the wind feels when it blows on your face. This is the life Jack leads, yet despite the absence of materialistic items, he is happy. He is curious when he sees a mouse, whom he simply names “Mouse”, eating crumbs from the floor. The single skylight gives Jack an outlet to dream about space and planets. All of this is made possible by Ma who, herself still a child, refuses to give up on a future for herself or Jack. This special bond between mother and son is a testament to love and how through the power of imagination one can survive anything.
Room tips much of its success to the powerhouse performances of industry veterans Joan Allen and William H. Macy. Their heart-wrenching reunion with Ma is near impossible to get through with dry eyes. As I stated earlier, Brie Larson solidifies her reputation in this business as she takes Ma to the darkest of places. We follow her emotional journey so closely that we may begin to lose ourselves in her struggles as a mother, and relate to her even if we don’t have children ourselves. And I can’t say enough about Hollywood’s next rising star, 8-year-old Jacob Tremblay, who brings beauty to the ugliness of his circumstances in Room. His innocence and extraordinary talent make him the perfect “Jack”, no one could have played the part as well. His ability to carry a scene and evoke mature emotions and the purity of his childhood makes him so sympathetic and a magnet for our eyes on-screen.
Room is an adaptation of author Emma Donoghue’s best-selling literary work of the same name, and those familiar with the novel will certainly not be disappointed in this cinematic interpretation. Keeping true to its integrity, director Lenny Abrahamson (Frank) delicately transforms the 2-dimensional pages of the book into a visually stunning, highly engaging experience.
I left the screening literally speechless, not only do I think Room is one of the best films of the year, it sets the bar for other filmmakers attempting innovative storytelling and dynamic character development. Room isn’t just a movie, it truly is a full body experience and although it can be uncomfortable at times, it pushes the audience to tap into emotions in a way that has rarely been done before. We embrace everything and are mesmerized by it. Even watching the trailer again brings tears to my eyes. To all involved in the making of Room, I thank you for such a fantastic work of art.
Room opens at ArcLight Hollywood and the Landmark this Friday, national expansion November 6th.
