Article By: Alice-Ginevra Micheli
From the bookshelves to the big screen, Room is a film that brought its cast and crew into the spotlight and touched hearts with its story of survival and love in its purest form.
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Frank (2014)), the film follows Jack (Jacob Tremblay), as he and his ma (Brie Larson) escape the room he has been trapped in his entire life and adapt to the world outside. Adapted by Emma Donoghue’s novel of the same name, the story is told from Jack’s perspective as he discovers and deals with frightening and traumatic events with the mind of a 5 year old, bringing a fresh perspective to a familiar story.
Being a relatively new filmmaker, Abrahamson does a solid job keeping the audience interested. One of his triumphs is how he portrays the difference in Room’s size depending on Jack or Ma’s perspective, being spacious and claustrophobic at the same time. However, after the beginning the film starts to slow dramatically, which could be illustrating the monotony of their lives but served more as an opportunity for me to glance at my watch. After all, I was waiting for them to finally break out and enjoy the world. The second half however tells the story rather effectively. It gives a raw and, what I’d imagine to be, realistic portrayal of someone discovering everything they’d never seen before for the first time. Furthermore, watching Ma’s inability to readapt to the world is intriguing to witness as it’s somehow unexpected, after all if someone escapes from Hell wouldn’t you expect them to be grateful? This film answers with a resounding no as it not only details the happiness of freedom but also mourns the loss of a life that was stolen, in this case Ma’s best years of her life.
The acting is superb, with Larson and Tremblay keeping you hooked from beginning to end. Larson aptly shows an array of emotion, from the doting mother to the traumatised daughter. Tremblay, on the other hand, is a child with the talent of a seasoned actor. He brings a certain purity and innocence to the role, while at the same time communicating difficult and subtle emotions that elevate this film to another level. Going in, I’d heard lots of gushing about Larson’s portrayal as the kidnapped Ma, but it was Tremblay’s performance that stayed in my mind long after walking out of the cinema.
The rest of the cast does a relatively robust job as well; I believed them all to be part of this story. However, they are pushed to the back allowing us to focus on the two mains, sometimes becoming nothing more than background fodder and others being limited to two-dimensional characters.
This film has been prominent on the awards circuit and the Oscars are no exception, therefore here’s my analysis of its potential in the categories: Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Best Achievement in Directing and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published.
While it is a beautiful film, it’s story and execution is a little too innocent and intimate to warrant a best film win. Considering some of the other nominees, it doesn’t quite have the impact or production value necessary to take it out this year.
However, Larson has more than a strong chance of winning her first Oscar after delivering a performance as varied and emotional as she did. While it’s easy to be distracted by lovable Tremblay, there’s no denying the credibility of the story is strongly rooted in that of Larson’s character. It’s easy to believe that she actually experienced this trauma, as she constantly surprises the audience with her reactions as well as her explanations of the world to her son.
Best Director is less likely. While Abrahamson does a solid job it’s not one that stands out in any particular way. There’s no particular flair that made it obvious to me that a great filmmaker was behind it, instead served only to accentuate the performances. It was a commendable effort, but not quite enough to go home with a little gold man.
Finally, Emma Donoghue was nominated for Best screenplay; even more impressive considering it was based on her own novel. Proving once again that novelists generally have a solid idea of how to translate their story into a film, the intricate nature of the dialogue and innocent narration from Jack, which walks a fine balance without falling into clichés, makes it seem probable that it may win in its category this year.
Room is a surprisingly intricate film told from the mind of a child, the simplest perspective possible. With strong lead acting performances, solid directing and an interesting script it’s one that I recommend for all film lovers out there who want to experience a film that’s tense, uplifting and original.