Richly profound and incredibly acted.

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2015)

"Room" is based on the 2010 novel of the same name, written by Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue who was also responsible for the film's screenplay. It tells the story of a 5-year old boy named Jack (Jacob Tremblay) and his Ma (Brie Larson), who are living in the confines of a small enclosure after Ma was kidnapped by a man when she was 17, and has been held captive there for last 7 years. This same man was responsible for Jack's birth, so Jack knows nothing or has seen anything else in his life apart from this room he's currently holed up in. After a daring escape plan finally frees Ma and himself, both individuals must find a way live a customary lifestyle again, but things are much harder than it seems.
"Room" works simply because of how unembellished and dreary it's narrative is and how seamlessly Larson, Tremblay and Joan Allen fit into this world of hopelessness. The acting from the two leads are stunning; you will not see a more genuine and heartbreaking Mother & Son relationship as this for a long time. Their rapport and on screen chemistry was dazzling.
Larson exudes that devoted motherly persona, doing her utmost to keep her child protected at any cost and blames herself forcefully for the situation they find themselves in. She doesn't care about her own wellbeing; everything she does, all her actions and rational thinking is about how she can get her child out of this nightmare and how to bring his life back around to normality. If you loved her in Short Term 12, she takes it up another notch here with a monumental display of sadness, anger & pure unadulterated love. Amazing, Oscar worthy stuff and if she won it would very much deserved; a performance that packs an almighty wallop.
Tremblay couldn't have played this role any better and he can easily join the ranks of the greatest child performances I've ever seen. It's a difficult part to play, but like Larson he gives his character so much depth and complexity and carries the same amount of care and affection for his 'Ma' that she has for him. Being such a young age, he doesn't quite understand what's going on, so he takes whatever his Ma says as gospel. He only knows 'Room'. He only knows what he see's on the TV in Room. He only knows the sky is blue. He doesn't know there's a huge universe out there waiting for him, that there are more people like him and Ma, that the dogs and cats and trees he see's on TV are real. The growth we see Tremblay's character experience and the way he conveys it is utterly transfixing; it's hard to believe he's just 9-years old. A big, big future ahead for this hugely talented kid.
And credit must also go to Joan Allen, whom I've admired for a while now but hasn't had a role like this in years. It's such a delicate and thoughtful performance, perfectly nuanced but enough there to feel her woes. It reminded me of Dern in last year's 'Wild', and I was so happy when Dern got a nomination because I loved her in that. I feel the same way about Allen.
The direction is very much on point and the gorgeous score has been criminally under-appreciated. It's not in your face but it doesn't need to be, as composer Stephen Rennicks elects to keep a smooth, perfectly apt melody whilst only increasing the strings slightly for the more intense moments.
"Room" is a film that will stay with you for days. It's subject matter is dark, leaving very little leeway for humour or any sort of respite from a grim situation. What we're presented to us is a highly grounded tale of human nature, the ugly side of it, but also the true beauty and strength of a Mother-Child bond.