Another Sincere A24 Success

Rating: 9/10 (26 February 2017)

It seems like, more and more, the notions of a film being "an exercise in film-making" and "extremely thoughtful/entertaining" are the antithesis of each other these days. You have your "Hollywood blockbusters", your "art-house fare", and very little in between. That's why I love the effort that A24 studios (which produced this picture) is making to bring those concepts together. In the past, with films like "Enemy", "Prisons", and "Ex Machina" A24 has succeeded in merging high-concept with pure entertainment. "Room" is another success with flying colors in that department.
For a basic plot summary (some spoilers), "Room" tells the story of Ma (Brie Larson) and her son Jack (Jacob Tremblay). The pair are living in a space that is incredibly confirmed/cramped, and are being held against their will by a mysterious male figure. The only reality that Jacob knows is "room", and Ma (after five years) wants to change that. So, they devise an escape plan in hopes of finally being able to revisit the world at large. Their plan does succeed...but only to a certain extant, as the rest of the movie is spent examining the culture shock in returning to their family and what that means for both Ma and Jack.
First and foremost, what makes "Room" such an intriguing film is that it lets the exposition play out quite nicely in the very beginning. In short, it shows the characters/settings rather than explain them. Much like Ma & Jack, "room" is the only universe viewers will know for the first portion of the film, allowing the characters to take center stage in a fascinating way. There is Ma, who knows what is happening, and Jack, who doesn't know anything else besides "room". The conversations where she tries to get him to understand the complexity of the world beyond the four walls of their limited existence is almost worth the price of the ticket alone.
In order for this to work, however, the acting has to be superb, and in "Room" it truly is. Larson (who made her name in the equally brilliant "Short Term 12") might take home some hardware for her stunning, emotional performance, while young Tremblay is very believable and apt as a boy going through something that few can even imagine. There isn't a wasted scene in the entire film, as every character interaction and nuance is imbued with significance and deep emotion.
"Room" also manages to transcend its title by not following a predictable arc. I don't want to get into too mainly spoilerish details, but there is as much material outside of "room" as in it, following Ma and Jack's struggle to integrate themselves back into society. These parts are just as deeply emotional as the "room" scenes since, again, the heavy character development at the beginning sets them up to be so relatable. It will really make you think about the enormity of the entire situation...a jolting emotion considering the claustrophobic smallness of the "room" setting.
A final area in which "Room" will engage audiences is the way in which the camera plays with the notion of space. In "room", Ma & Jack are cramped, definitely, but it seems to be a livable space. There is a scene towards the end of the film, however, where they are back in "room", and this time (within the context of the outside world) it looks so incomprehensibly tiny. It truly is all about perspective and mindset...and a wonderful director in Lenny Abrahamson.
So, if you are looking for a cinematic experience that is equal parts mind-stretching, emotional, funny, and tragic, "Room" fits all the bills. It has the polished feel of an Academy Award-type picture, yet the spirit of a movie that knows no bounds when it comes to characters, emotions, and settings. A24 has done it again.