Quality

Rating: 8/10 (16 December 2015)

Very powerful. Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay give tremendous performances as a young mother her five-year-old son who live in the eponymous room. As their story unfolds, the film begins to tighten its grip, so it's a pity that around this time in the story there are a couple of not very believable aspects to the plot. Never mind: once they're out of the way, the final section of what is essentially a three-act drama raises the emotional temperature further. I confess I was a tear-stained rag at the end.
The presence of Joan Allen and William H. Macy in supporting roles is a testament to the quality of a project they clearly felt they wanted to be part of. Sean Bridgers, Tom McCamus and Amanda Brugel also make noteworthy contributions.
On the basis of this, and of that excellent, eccentric movie FRANK, it's easy to see that Lenny Abrahamson is a superb director of actors, with an interest in and an understanding of the complexity of people's relationships.