Director Lenny Abrahamson
Genre Drama
Cast Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers, Wendy Crewson
Rating R
Release Date January 22nd, 2016
“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.”
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson who also directed the unique film Frank, Room is the story of a life altering traumatic experience that brought a mother and son as close as humanly possible. The film is written by Emma Donoghue and is based on her book of the same name that has received its fair share of acclaim. Room is a work of fiction that feels very much like a film based on a true story due to situations such as The Cleveland abduction, which was eventually made into a low budget direct-to-rental film.
I am embarrassed to admit that I went to see Room in early December and yet I am just now getting around to writing this review. What can I say people, life happens (that and I procrastinate A LOT, keep that between us). Room was initially given a limited release and I was able to see it at the local art house theater in my town, as the bigger theaters did not start showing the film until the Oscar buzz hit full circle. I was thrilled for the opportunity to see Room and I was more than pleased with this low budget yet high reaching film. Simply put, Room is an amazing film. I spoke to a few people prior to seeing Room and they were hesitant as they thought it would be hard to watch considering the source material. Trust me when I say this concern is very much unfounded as the film isn’t nearly as graphic as it could have been.
Room is a masterful example of quality storytelling and exceptional writing. Even though I have yet to experience the book for myself (I hope to read it soon) I am sure that the film is the best on-screen representation that it could possibly be. The real winners here are the cast as the acting in Room is unbelievable and the fact that Brie Larson, an underrated 26-year-old actress, won the 2016 Oscar for Best Actress does not surprise me one bit. The character she portrays on-screen wins the audience over right from the beginning, and the will to survive that her character exhibits is a pleasure to experience. I absolutely must give credit to 9-year-old actor Jacob Tremblay who put on a performance well beyond his years. Tremblay is able to portray his character as a young boy with a highly developed imagination considering the very small confines of the world around him, as far as he can see anyway.
Room is a powerful film that should easily claim its rightful place in cinema lore. Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay display an on-screen chemistry that is nearly impossible to replicate and an absolute pleasure to witness, through tears and through laughter. You would swear this is an actual mother and son struggling through times tougher than most of us will ever know. Room deserves to be seen and I hope that Larson’s well-deserved Best Actress Oscar gives this film the exposure it should have received from the beginning.
