Room is an amazing film analyzing the life of a kidnapped mother and son

Rating: 10/10 (26 March 2016)

Room follows a kidnapped mother and her son who eventually make a complicated, but successful, escape attempt and must deal with life after being released.
So, the main reasons I saw this film were because: a) Brie Larson is a great actress, as seen in some other films I've seen recently (namely The Spectacular Now), b) the film looked really intriguing from some clips and such that I saw during the Oscars, and c) it is an Oscar winner, and I'm always intrigued to see these movies. And I gotta say, this movie exceeded my expectations. Much like Spotlight, I didn't expect it to be as good as it was.
Let's start with the acting, because that is the best thing about this movie, in my opinion. Brie Larson deserved the Oscar. She did an amazing job portraying a mother trying to protect her son, but also dealing with her own issues stemming from her seven-year imprisonment. It's amazing how well she just blends into her character. After a while, you don't see an actress anymore. You see a struggling mother, barely holding herself together. Part of the reason this works so well is that Jacob Tremblay, who plays her son, also does a fantastic job. From someone who generally doesn't like child actors, because most of the time they suck, I was genuinely surprised that he did such a fantastic job. He was never annoying, and instead, he was one of the biggest pieces that needed to fit, and he did a great job doing so.
The other actors and actresses in the film are of lesser importance, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't bring them up. Joan Allen did a great job as Larson's mother, portraying a woman trying to be there for her daughter, but also wanting her to move on. Sean Bridgers is extra disturbing as "Old Jack", aka, the man who has kidnapped the mother. William H. Macy portrays a father trying to keep himself together after so many years, and Tom McCamus does a fantastic job as Allen's new beau, providing for both Larson and her son.
The score to this film, done by Stephen Rennicks, was absolutely stunning. He hasn't done many movies, but I hope he gets more work, because he does an excellent job with this movie. It never feels as if he's pandering, trying to get you to cry because of the music alone. It feels exactly like you're in the movie, and how you would feel if music would be playing during pieces of your life. The music only flares during tense and also rewarding sequences, and it always makes you feel even more for the people in the film.
The cinematography and direction was great as well. For the first half, it's set simply in a storage shed. It's quite amazing how well you can come up with many different ways to film inside such a small space. Yet, the director Lenny Abrahamson, did a great job with this. The screenplay was also stunning. It really provides the best way for these characters to act and play off of each other. I, sadly, have not read the book yet, but I am almost tempted to go out and buy it right now, as it seems like it would be quite the read.
Overall, I'm extremely impressed with Room. The acting, score, direction, cinematography, screenplay - everything absolutely worked. If you haven't seen it for some reason, do so. It's definitely worth your time. But, be sure to bring a few tissues. I'm not one for crying during movies, and yet I almost did here. That's the sign of a fantastic film.