Review of Room (2015) by Glenmar D — 23 Dec 2016

Lenny Abrahamson, the director of this film, is determined to make everyone cry. The viewer will go through a rollercoaster ride of emotions including happiness, eeriness, and sadness. The interaction between "Ma" (Brie Larson) and "Jack" (Jacob Tremblay) is bittersweet. I couldn't help but feel delighted to see the affectionate love they share and show on screen. But at the same time, I couldn't help but feel disturbed by the fact that they were held captive in a shed.

The room was evidently small, but the way Jack and Ma played around to keep themselves busy made it look like the biggest and happiest playground in the world. The playground would turn into a disturbing hellish nightmare by night. While Jack was trying to sleep, their captor named "Old Nick" would rape Ma. The actual horrendous activity was not shown on screen. Instead, we see Jack in a closet trying to sleep while we hear the thumping and thudding.

Ma and Jack's time in the room contain most of the film's best moments. After Jack escapes and the police find out where Ma was, the film becomes more intriguing. Jack's interaction with the real world kept my attention. From interacting with other people to playing with a dog for the first time, I couldn't help but smile. Although I realize that the third act was longer than it should be, I was still entertained. The film's most uplifting scenes are to be found when Jack experiences the real world.

The cinematography was nothing special, but I specifically liked the way they filmed in the room. I felt claustrophobia, which I think was the intent of the cinematographer. Jack's face when he sees the blue open sky for the first time is one of my favorite moments in this movie.

The chemistry between Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay was very authentic. I felt the love that they shared for each other and the tense arguing against each other. Brie Larson received numerous accolades for her performance, including an Oscar win. Her performance was raw. From shedding tears, screaming at her movie mom, to her subtle moments with Jacob, she couldn't have done any better. Jacob Tremblay's performance was equally great as Brie's. He was robbed of an Oscar nomination. Nevertheless, he still won numerous awards, including the Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, beating the legendary Christopher Plummer. I have never seen a child actor give out such a phenomenal performance ever since Haley Joel Osment in "The Sixth Sense". His facial expressions were surreal and authentic. There was never a scene where I felt that he was just "acting", his performance felt real. Their on-screen chemistry is arguably the best thing about this film.

The dialogue between the characters was natural. A very simplistic, but at the same time, powerful screenplay, written by the author of the novel, Emma Donoghue.

I have never felt affected by the soundtrack of a film ever since watching the movie "Drive" (2011). The music perfectly portrayed the tone of a scene. From the empowering song, "The Mighty Rio Grande", to the even more empowering song "New End", the soundtrack played a crucial part in this film.

This film was a refreshing watch. A true modern cinematic masterpiece. The best movie of 2015.