A brilliant movie, but painful to watch

Rating: 10/10 (14 December 2015)

Room (2015/I) was directed by Lenny Abrahamson. It stars Jacob Tremblay as Jack and Brie Larson as his mother ("Ma")
The situation becomes very clear early in the film. Jack and his mother are held captive by a man who has kidnapped her, raped her, impregnated her, and uses her as his sexual slave. Jack and his mother have lived in a small, locked shed, which they call "Room." Jack's mother has lived in "Room" since she was abducted seven years earlier. Jack has lived there for all of his life--five years.
By incredible ingenuity, motivated by love, Ma has kept Jack from realizing the horrors of their situation. It's hard to believe that anyone could be so motivated and capable, allowing the boy to believe that his situation is normal, but it works in the film and you accept it.
What happens next is pretty well known, but I won't go into it because it might decrease your enjoyment of the movie. It's dramatic, frightening, and, heart-wrenching, all at the same time.
Brie Larson does a wonderful job as the mother, and Jacob Tremblay has to be the best child actor we have. He is absolutely brilliant. Director Abrahamson must be an extremely talented man to draw two such great performances from his actors.
This is a must-see film, but it's not easy to watch. Even though Room wasn't based on any specific incident, we all know of cases of warped men who have kidnapped and enslaved women. It's hard to think about the lives of those women without becoming depressed.
We saw the film at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, NY. Given the claustrophobic atmosphere of the movie, it will work on the small screen as well. Seek it out and watch, but prepare yourself mentally before you begin.