Room: A perfectly paced suspenseful thriller that leads the viewer
right into the film so you will experience exactly what the characters do. “Ma” (Larson) and Jack (Tremblay) are
seen in their normal daily functions—cooking, eating, sleeping, bathing—with a
twist. Ma keeps Jack’s imagination
active by telling him stories and helping him figure out how the world is. He has a birthday, and they make a
cake, which is a bittersweet occasion.
But Ma is strong and Jack ultimately feels supported by her. He has a sunny disposition—well, they
both do—and in some ways it’s happily childlike.
The
pacing of the film directed by Lenny Abrahamson (who also directed the fine
quirky film Frank) allows plenty of
time for the question to be answered as to why they’re in this enclosed space,
and it’s done gradually, so it takes time for the truth to dawn. They do have a visitor periodically who
brings in supplies, but Ma doesn’t appear to be all that pleased with him. Because Jack obviously does not know
much about the outside world Ma has to weave stories and information about it
into their daily conversations and games.
Because
of the artistry of the director, the writer (Emma Donaghue), cinematographer
(Danny Cohen, known for The King’s Speech
and Les Miserables), and musical
score (Stephen Rennicks), the film becomes a combination of suspense, horror,
mysteriousness, and human drama, all put together in a highly coordinated
ensemble. They give Room psychological depth in the main
characters, and as well in authorities and people in general. Insensitive curiosity, impatience,
obtuseness, and testiness abound right along with gentleness, love, and acceptance. Although this is about tragedy, it’s also
a beautifully designed tapestry that fills up the screen with real
humanness.
Brie
Larson has accumulated praises for her work most notably in Short Term 12, The Spectacular Now, Don Jon,
and 21 Jump Street, and this is
probably her most demanding role because she is on screen for most of the
movie. And she does a heroic
job. Her young co-star, Jacob
Tremblay, who already has 13 credits to his name in just three years, shows off
considerable talent here. They
sync together in a tight bond that reflects an isolated togetherness of five
years. The experienced Joan Allen
and William H. Macy are powerful in their roles as Jack’s grandparents, who
appear late in the film, but each has his/her individual differences in dealing
with an emotional situation, and help illustrate the jarring adjustment to
traumatic situations.
Room is an unusual (unusual in its
“truthiness”) dramatization of events that we hear about today, but don’t
really have a way of imagining.
Abrahamson and crew have given us a way to visualize and better
understand the challenges and need for empathy of those who manage to get
through traumatic situations.
This is a rare treat that combines stark reality with
imagination and childhood joy.
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