Review of Room (2015) by Sherry R — 27 Mar 2016

So the room stars Brie Larson and breakout soon to be mega star Jacob Tremblay as a mother and son who are imprisoned in a tiny room. To the mother the room is a living hell which he does her best to cope with each day. To her son, who was born in there, Room is all he knows, it is his entire world, and he has no knowledge of the world outside.

Now it's going to be difficult to review this movie without giving away a few minor spoilers (I say minor as we're not going to give away anything that you wouldn't have seen in the trailers), but here we go. It is very much a movie of two halves, the first half inside room and second half (minor spoiler) outside room. Though both are filled with directly opposed experiences of both mother and son throughout.

So the first half depicts life inside room. And instead of doing the expected lazy montage which we have become accustomed to in so many films, room takes its time to show you the day to day lives of the two characters, in a slow and subtle way but without ever making you feel bored or that the movie is slow. Each day presents a different challenge for the mother and a new form of entertainment for the son. And each day really does feel different- an amazing accomplishment when you consider the tiny size of room.

This is then juxtaposed by the second half of the film which takes place outside. Of course not spoilers as to how or why they are out of room. But once out, again the two characters find themselves dealing with very different realities. Brie Larson having to somehow piece her life back together after 7 years, while coping with depression and post-traumatic stress, Jacob Tremblay trying to acknowledge the new world and people that exist within, but ultimately missing his more simple life back in room.

The acting in this movie is some of the finest you'll see, Brie Larson, deserving of her Oscar nomination and Jacob Tremblay is a revelation, with a long career ahead of him - the finest child actor since DiCaprio in what's eating Gilbert Grape.

The cinematography is exceptional, and evolves throughout the course of the movie, beginning with close up shots and a high depth of field to show the claustrophobic nature of room, and gradually changing to wider shots to convey the helpless sense of space that Jacob Tremblay feels on the outside.

In conclusion, I find it difficult to find fault in room. It is without question one of the best films I have seen for years. As you may know I'm a believer that there are very few "perfect" films, where everything single frame is conducive to advancing the story, and not a line is wasted. I really looked and thought as I was watching that I would take points off in the second half for a slowed down pace. But the change of pace was for a very powerful reason that I won't spoil now. Get ready coz you are unlikely to see me do this again for a long time, but I refuse to give Room anything less than a 10/10. It is a flawless masterpiece, and a crowning achievement in cinema, the sort of film you feel privileged to have watched. It is that good!