ROOM (R)
Released by A24/Element Pictures
Reviewed by Adam Mast
When the 2016 Oscar nominations were recently announced, there appeared to be quite a few folks surprised by all the love for a film that has, for the most part, been slightly under the radar. Mark my words, though. There’s a reason for that love. ROOM is pretty damn special. It’s a smaller, more intimate film than the majority of the pictures battling it out in the major categories, but it is no less grand in heart and soul. The only real surprise here is that young Jacob Tremblay was left out of the Best Supporting Actor race, because he’s exceptional in this picture.
Based on the book by Emma Donoghue, who also wrote the screenplay, ROOM weaves its heartbreaking but inspirational- and ultimately-hopeful tale around Ma (played by Brie Larson), a woman in her 20’s who, as a teen, was kidnapped and forced to abide by her abductors’ wishes all while restricted to the confines of a tiny room. As the film opens, Ma has been trapped by her surroundings for an extended period of time, but thankfully, she has a real sense of purpose in the form of her 5-year old son, Jack (Tremblay.) Virtually gone is the sense of terror and helplessness Ma most likely felt shortly after her abduction. While all hope of escape in not entirely lost, this woman is overcome by an almost eerie sense of calm. Despite her most dire situation, she is seemingly complacent at this point in time, but she has no real choice in the matter as the most important thing in her life is Jack. Eventually, a dangerous proposition opens room in a very profound way making for a most compelling motion picture experience.
ROOM isn’t based on an actual incident, but there have been real life cases that have clearly inspired it, so before anyone dismiss the set-up here as too crazy to be true, think again. ROOM is a powerful story about love, family, adapting, perseverance, and the importance of good parenting. The first half of the picture is a bit disorienting but intriguing in its portrayal of a woman who has learned to accept where she is and it couples this portrayal with the compelling story of a boy who’s perfectly at home in a restricted environment because room is all he’s ever known.
As skillfully directed by Lenny Abrahamson (FRANK), ROOM is essentially two stories in one. Admittedly, I questioned a couple of moments during the first half of the picture but these questions weren’t enough to take me out of this riveting movie. ROOM is compelling in a big way offering up emotional payoff after emotional payoff and Abrahamson is clearly up to the challenge, particularly when it comes to the complex character arcs. Furthermore, this observant filmmaker’s ability to visually and psychologically dispay Jack’s sense of discovery is simply masterful.
Larson is terrific here. Her Ma is strong but vulnerable, and willing to do anything to keep Jack safe. She is the very personification of great parenting and her son’s well-adjusted behavior is a direct reflection of that. Larson brings real emotion and complexity to the proceedings.
Tremblay is an absolute revelation in this picture. Watching his transformation is quite an emotional journey mostly because this sensational young actor is so understated. As previously stated, Jack is born into a world that only makes sense because it’s all he’s ever known. In the later portions of the film, this child is given an opportunity to simply be a kid and it’s an absolute joy to watch. It’s also a joy seeing this character display loving traits that were clearly instilled in him by his mother even while under the most difficult of circumstances. Look no further than a heartfelt moment between Jack and his grandmother (Joan Allen.) Tremblay is a natural here and while the environment created by Abrahamson probably had a lot to do with him being as effective as he is, I have very little doubt that we’ll be seeing plenty of this kid in the future.
Rounding out a solid supporting cast are Allen and William H. Macy as a pair of distraught parents. Allen is a seasoned pro and she’s fantastic as a mother dealing with every parent’s worst nightmare. Macy has the daunting challenge of playing a father who has a hard time coming to terms with the disintegration of his marriage and making up for lost time, and he’s fantastic despite a very limited amount of screen time. Tom McCamus is extremely likable as a caring stepfather who does his best to navigate through an incredibly complicated family crisis.
ROOM is a stunning character driven drama filled with tension and real emotion, and for all its winning attributes, one of the things I admire most about it is its much-welcome refusal to turn in to a boring, run-of-the-mill, cliché-ridden thriller. It certainly has moments that are structured like a thriller but it wisely keeps Ma and Jack the focal point. Had ROOM switched gears and focused on the abductor, the proceedings would have been cheapened. This is a story about a mother and son rising up and learning to adapt to their surroundings, no matter how difficult the task. Home is clearly where the heart is, and few films in recent memory have illustrated this fact more eloquently than ROOM.
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