Great adaptation of a fantastic novel; deeply affecting

Rating: 10/10 (18 January 2016)

Because of me being an idiot, I finished reading the book Room literally an hour before I saw the movie. The good side of this was the novel was still in my head, but the bad side was also that the novel was still very much in my head. Usually when this happens, you become critical as you constantly go "Where's this bit? Where's that bit?". The novel is pretty intact with this adaptation, and is also a pretty much perfect adaptation.
A lot of Jack's internal monologues are narrowed down, obviously as this is a visual medium and not a novel where you can get away with this, and this shows how Emma Donaghue takes over lovingly crafted novel and makes it work with a film format. And when she has produced the script with the same tone and sensibility, albeit with some scenes appearing slightly shortened (notably the interview scene, which in the book brought me to tears and felt a little hastened here), she gives that script to very talented people to bring to life. Irish director Lenny Abrahamson shoots the movie with very tight shots - around 80% of the shots are ECUs or CUs, which is mixed with a cooler pallet to make the world seem cold, and as the movie ends, we see a final wide shot of our two main characters walking from the camera to give a great resolve. It's a very tight, clever piece of storytelling with camera-work. The cast are also stellar. Joan Allen features prominently as Jack's grandmother, and is great as a woman who's trying her best to warm to and love Jack whilst also making her own daughter's return to the world more accessible and is great, Tom McCamus plays 'steppa' Leo who is the first person to really coax Jack out of his shell, and uses his warming and caring voice, and subtle, gentle expressions to gain his affection. Sean Bridgers plays Old Nick, the captor and creator of Room; Sean Bridgers deserves a lot of credit for being genuinely repulsive, despite only being seen a small number of scenes, and for creating a quiet unassuming quality about him - that no-one would ever expect him - while also being horrifically calm with everything he's done. Now onto the main players: Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. Brie Larson has come a long way since Envy Adams in Scott Pilgrim, and she creates a TOTALLY realistic portrayal of a traumatised woman who is also a genuinely loving person/parent. In her already mentioned interview scene, where she's asked horrifically insensitive questions to provoke, your heart breaks for her. As Jack, Jacob is our eyes of the movie as we follow him wherever he goes, and he's so adorable yet wise in his way; he says things like his "strong" is in his hair, like Samson, and you find it utterly adorable and endearing at the same time. He is really good, and it's good he is because if he wasn't then whole movie fails.
I can't think of any flaws with the movie at all actually, and if there are they are pretty minor. There are obviously differences with the novel, which is always frustrating BUT as a movie, this is perfect. Brie Larson is particularly wonderful, as is the script and the minimalistic movie score. Hopefully Oscar for Brie, and all around good things for this movie.