'Room' Movie Review

Hello, fellow moviegoers!
   The Oscars are now only three weeks away! If you’ve been wanting to see some of the best films of 2015, now would be the best time. Many of the Best Picture nominees are getting re-releases widely across the country. I know for a fact that the small theater I attend has had The Revenant, The Big Short, Spotlight, Room, and Brooklyn, all in the past few weeks.
   Room was one of those movies that nobody saw coming. There was little to hear about this film until its release when it starting getting amazing reviews and eventually receiving four nominations at this year’s Oscars. Leading lady, Brie Larson, was honored for her performance, Lenny Abrahamson was nominated for Best Director, and the film as a whole got nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture.
   Room is directed by Lenny Abrahamson, and it stars Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. It is the story of a woman kidnapped and locked away in a solitary room for seven years, with only her son to keep her company. Her son, Jack, was born in this room and has had no interaction with the world at all. To him, this room is the world. After they are freed, Room is about the mother readjusting to the world, and her son seeing the world for the first time at the age of five. So does Room deserve all the attention it is getting? Is it really worth your time?

   To put it simply, this was a brilliant film. Room managed to excel in all of the major categories people think of when critiquing a film. The premise of the story is one that has the potential to be amazing if done correctly. Director Lenny Abrahamson managed to find that correct way to tell the story, and make it better.
   The acting in this film was spectacular. Brie Larson was a force to be reckoned with in this film. She definitely deserves the Oscar nomination, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she went all the way to win the award. Usually, child actors are terrible at giving good performance. It’s not their fault; they are only kids. That’s why Jacob Tremblay’s performance was jaw-dropping. Tremblay, who was only eight when this film premiered, gives a performance on the same level as actors who are three or four times older than he is. While he didn’t receive a nomination at the Oscars, there is a very valid argument to be made that he should have. He was that good in this film.
   The cinematography in this film is also worth noting. There are shots that are very obviously shot on hand-held cameras, and the shaking that would be very distracting and frustrating with most other films fit so well with Room. It really tried to make you feel as if you were locked in this small room with these two people, and was executed brilliantly. At times, it almost makes you feel claustrophobic; which adds to the overall experience of the film.
   The writing and dialogue in this film were some of the best in any recent film I’ve seen. Mainly, because you weren’t thinking about how it was written or the lines being said. You were thinking about these people and their reactions to the situation they were in. The screenplay did a fantastic job portraying these characters as real people. Jack didn’t feel like a movie’s portrayal of a kid. You believed he was an actual child. If that isn’t a great job on the screenwriter’s part, I don’t know what is.
  Immediately after seeing the film, I was a little disappointed with the film’s resolution, because there really isn’t one. But as time passed, I realized that they wanted to make this film as realistic as possible, the truth is most situations like this don’t have a satisfying end. Events like this have lasting effects on people. While there is a definite climax to the film, it is much more subtle. This subtlety made it even more effective. There is so much going on at once inside these characters' heads. In the end, it was truly the perfect way to end this movie.
   Room is an utterly amazing film. It’s a very human story that doesn’t worry about being this big emotional epic. The performances in the film were breathtaking, especially Jacob Tremblay. The direction and cinematography were excellent, and the film as a whole deserves every award and nomination it is receiving.
9.5/10

   So what did you think of Room? Do you think Jacob Tremblay should have received an Oscar nomination? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this review, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and other miscellaneous movie thoughts.
 
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