The human spirit triumphing over adversity

Rating: 8/10 (8 November 2016)

Room has a fairly simple premise. Most people if they've seen the trailer know how the story goes. Woman and her son are locked in a room for several years. Eventually they escape but now have to negotiate a different version of reality. But which is realer to Jack who has only known the inside of the same 4 walls for his entire life? Will either of them be able to cope?
This is a surprisingly sweet film given the darkness of what happens in it. Perhaps this is because at times our point of view is that of the 5 year old boy. His mother has concocted a fantasy world in order to protect him from their harsh reality. And so we don't feel shocked when we hear her routine rape (albeit unresistant) because it is made to be part of the normal routine of 'room', for Jack's sake.
The planning and implementation of Jack's escape is the most harrowing and tense part of the film. I was shouting at the TV for him to get the hell up and run.
When they escape things don't get any easier. Real life is new and frightening and the readjustment a shock to the system for both. The film then shifts from the relative simplicity of room to the much more complicated real world.
The acting in the film from the two leads is great but particularly from the youngster. I know Larson wins the Oscar (and she is good) but Tremblay's performance is more affecting. I really couldn't tell if he was acting or actually just being himself.
I'd recommend this to anyone with an open mind who doesn't mind something a bit different. No explosions in this one, just family drama, human relationships and human nature, all told without pretence or sugar coating.