Room

WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
Click here to show this review. "Room" is by all accounts a great movie. The acting is some of the best I’ve seen all year, the story is compelling, the characters interesting and as you follow their plight it’s impossible not to get emotionally invested. I urge you to go see it. With that said, I feel like something was lost in translation. Between this film and the novel by Emma Donoghue (who wrote the screenplay, making me ask once again “What do I know? ”) something doesn’t sit right with me. Curious? Let’s dig in!

Joy (Brie Larson) and her five-year-old son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) live in "Room", a space no bigger than a tool shed outfitted with a bed, a television and some living essentials. Its all Jack has ever known. Soon after his fifth birthday Joy informs her son of the truth: there's more to the world than just "Room". The man who supplies them with food and clothing (Sean Bridgers) kidnapped Joy when she was 17 and there’s a whole world waiting for them, if they can escape.

If you have seen trailers for this film, you know well ahead what happens in the second half. If you don't I wouldn’t say that knowing this gives away so much away that you won’t be able to “Room”, but go in as cold as possible. If you’re already in the know rest assured. The extra information did not diminish my enjoyment of “Room”. It's pretty much impossible not to get involved with what’s developing on-screen. Your heart breaks at the very thought of a human being held captive and of another never seeing the outside world. When there is a possibility of escape, no matter how small the odds are you scoot to the edge of your seat because if these two innocents can't be freed, then there’s no hope in the world.

This story follows two people being forced against their will to live out a life they have not chosen and making the best of it and about seeing this nightmare through a lens of innocence. If you put two and two together you will quickly realize that there are some pretty unsettling things happening here (we don’t actually see Joy get raped, but happening regularly without a doubt) You’re getting worried, but hold on. This is not what I would call a depressing movie. Seeing the characters move through this story and getting to know them is a rewarding experience. It’s like volunteering at a homeless shelter. You might not be around beauty and the situation is sad, but there’s something about being there, holding the hand of someone who is at rock bottom that enriches you. This is particularly true with this Lenny Abrahamson picture because the characters are drawn in such a realistic fashion. Jack is not just a precautious innocent who always behaves and sits idly by while the world moves around. 5 year olds can be sweet. They can also be frustrating and impatient. The key is that when they’re being funny or asking an innocuous question they melt your heart and you fall head over heels in love. Joy is no a saint either, despite the fact that she’s undeniably a victim and a strong person for holding onto shreds of hope.

There is still hope within Jack and when I saw the bond between him and his mother it more than made up for the discomfort that I felt thinking about everything that this scenario entailed. I could never quite get over it completely, and I don’t think you're supposed to, but by the end of the film I think you’ll manage to emerge unscathed. Witnessing the character of Jack really begin to evolve and grow despite everything he’s missed out on ignites your own healing process. If anything, it’ll inspire you to think of children and of the resiliency of the human spirit in a whole new way.

I do have a criticism which I feel needs to be addressed. Ultimately this movie is about self-discovery and exploration. I don’t think it pulls it off 100%. I compare the film to a book that I have not read, but I get the feeling that when you find yourself in Jack’s for world the first time, you’re not supposed to fully grasp what’s happening. Is it a science fiction/fantasy story where the whole world really IS just this tiny? In live action, the illusion is never there. As a person living in the real world, you can immediately tell that there is something wrong. The film is essentially told from Jack's point of view but I never felt like I could truly immerse myself and understand how he thought. Similarly, I think there are missed opportunities with the unique aspects that film can bring to a story. It’s not a great example, but I think of Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz", where the use of actors, music and color made it clear that she is in a new world with new rules. It sucked you into this new place to help you understand how different a life it would be. A life lived in a single room could have been conveyed better.

I do not think that most people will feel the same way I did about the “film” aspect of "Room". Even if you do, there’s no denying that it is an emotionally successful and touching account that sucks you in right from the beginning, contains real tension without resorting to any cheap tricks and works as a profound examination of two human beings. Then you’ve got the performances. Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay alone should be enough to compel you to get off your butt and see “Room” the performances are on a higher echelon than in most films. For those reasons and more, I’m certain that this is not the last time you will hear of "Room". (Theatrical version on the big screen, November 10, 2015)