Should you buy the DVD? If you’re planning to check out the symbolism, sure.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 117 minutes (~2 hours)
“Room” is a Canadian-Irish drama that’s based on the book of the same name, which draws inspiration from a real life kidnapping case about a woman held captive in in a room for over 20 years. The film centres on a mother and child who’ve been trapped in a room for years, and the child’s first exposure to the outside world. It stars Brie Larson (Joy Newsome), Jacob Tremblay (Jack Newsome), Joan Allen (Nancy Newsome), William H. Macy (Robert Newsome), and Sean Bridgers (Old Nick). It is rated PG-13.
“Room” originally struck me as one of those one-room set movies like “Buried” where you have to take an immediate liking to the main characters or suffer through the film, especially when Joy Newsome didn’t come across as all that likable in the first few scenes. But it turned out to be a surprisingly insightful journey of self-discovery as we learned that the true hero of the story wasn’t Joy, but her son, Jack.
Highlights
Jacob Tremblay gives a stirring performance as Jack
Before I start — Jacob Tremblay is only 10 this year (2016)! For a child of that age, he gives a genuine and moving portrayal of a boy who’s never seen anything in the outside world before, and reacts to his new surroundings with the surprise, fear and wonder. He’s able to convey the mixed emotions that come with a child who’s forced to leave everything he’s ever known for something that’s purportedly better, but misses the familiarity that made up the majority of his life. Jacob Tremblay performs far better than many actors thrice or even four times his age, and could helm his own film in a few years.
Jack Newsome’s perspective
Jack’s voiceovers provide insightful reflections on our material world today, serving as a sort of commentary on the absurdity of the modernity. And ironically, he understands what’s important in life even more than Joy does — that less is more. His down-to-earth point-of-view lends an air of simplicity to the film, cutting out all the fluff and baggage that an adult would otherwise add to such narrations.
Touching interaction between Jack and Joy
Despite returning to the real world and all their other family members, ultimately Jack and Joy only have each other. It’s not just about a mother’s love for her child, but the fact that all that time spent trapped together has built an inseparable bond between the two characters. Jack wouldn’t have survived without Joy, just as how Joy wouldn’t have survived without Jack, and the realisation of this relationship is what makes their love all the more heartwarming.
Themes we can all relate to
Being able to let go is one of the key ideas of the film. For them to move on with their lives, both Jack and Joy must let go of the familiar but detrimental situations they miss. It’s a message that rings true with all of us, especially when we see the protagonists struggling with it as much as we do.
Letdowns
Lack of a visual comeuppance for the antagonist
We learn what happens to Old Nick, but there’s no final confrontation between him and Joy, or a conversation that shows how Joy has overcome the terrors that Old Nick has inflicted upon her. For all that he’s done, you need to see that he’s gotten what he deserves. Without a strong visual indication of that, it just seems like Old Nick didn’t quite get what he should have.
Film meanders in the second half
After the film leaves the Room set, the pacing slows and the direction wavers. It’s unclear what’s the primary objective of the story after that, and it’s only much later that we find out what the main characters need to achieve to gain their happy ending.
“Room” is a powerful character-driven drama that shows us what’s important in life and the strength of human perseverance. With strong performances from its leads, especially Jacob Tremblay, “Room” touches the heartstrings of its audiences.
“Room” opens in cinemas 14 January, 2016 (Thursday).
This review was first published on Yahoo.
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