Brilliant, Absolutely deserves the recognition

Rating: 8/10 (31 January 2016)

I didn't know anything about the movie until the Oscar buzz started. To say the least, I had my apprehensions before getting into the movie. Why? Because, I read the synopsis which implied that Brie Larson would be playing a mother. That didn't make a lot of sense to me, cause until 2 years ago she used to portray the role of teenagers in high school.
Anyway, once I did actually start watching the movie, I was totally captivated by what I saw. The first 10 minutes hook you into the story and I kept wondering what will happen next?
Brie Larson shines in her portrayal of the psychologically petrified, abused, yet selfless mother who gives everything it takes to protect and nurture her child. I was pleasantly surprised by her performance, because prior to this, I've only seen her in 21 Jump Street and Trainwreck, which are fun and campy movies, but her performance didn't stand out. Here, her performance is very nuanced and subtle, that it didn't feel like I was watching a movie, the events were unfolding in-front of my eyes and most of the credit goes to Larson for giving a stellar performance.
Jacob Tremblay is phenomenal as Jack. Apart from Jacob, part of the credit goes to the casting directors who chose him, because you can't easily teach 7-8 year old to act, you need to choose a child whose demeanor and personality corresponds well with the character he/she will be portraying so that his performance comes across as natural one. If they hadn't chosen the right actor to portray Jack, the film wouldn't be getting the recognition it's getting right now. I'm excited to see what Jacob does next.
The rest of the cast, which included the likes of Joan Allen and Matt Gordon play their roles beautifully.
Lenny Abrahamson is a great storyteller and I'm really pumped to see what he does next. Let's see if he beats this one.
I won't divulge much into the story, cause you need to experience it for yourself. The IMDb synopsis is enough to give you an idea of what you would be getting into.
My only problem with the movie is that it felt 15 minutes longer than it should have been. The movie deals with the repercussions of what the characters endured in the room, which in my opinion was stretched longer than what would have sufficed.
PS. Don't take my word for it, experience it for yourself. You might even cry at a point in the movie, when the characters achieve redemption.
My Rating: 8.5/10