Room (2015)

**** out of ****

I'm not quite sure exactly what I expected when I sat down in the theatre to watch “Room”, but I know it wasn't what I got. And thank goodness for that, because what I got was the most emotionally charged, involving and wonderfully tragic story I've seen in many years.

Joy Newsome (Brie Larson) was kidnapped at the age of 17 by a dull but still cunning sexual criminal (Sean Bridgers), who keeps her in an insulated and soundproofed shed in his backyard.  For the past seven years she has been his captive and sexual slave, and 5 years ago it resulted in the birth of a boy, Jack (Jacob Tremblay). Joy and Jack live together in the shed, which they simply call “room”. There are no windows, only a skylight through which they can see nothing but the clouds and the stars.

Jacob's entire existence has been in “room”. They have a TV, but he thinks that everything on it is made up – that trees and cars and other people are just made up for TV. His entire world is about 200 square feet and he has never known anything else. When their captor comes to use Joy for sex, she puts Jacob in the wardrobe to spare him contact with the man. Other than those moments, Joy and Jack are together at all times.

There are two primary acts to “Room”, each of which take up about half the film. The first is their existence in “room” and their eventual plan to escape. I don't think I'm letting any cats out of the bag by saying they do eventually manage to get out. And as harrowing and engrossing as that part of the movie is, the second act becomes something almost sublime. When they come out into the world, and Jack sees that there is more to it than the 15 feet that he can see to each wall, the characters become people who are in awe and terror and shock. And thanks to near-perfect performances, their journey is one you go on with them.

Joy is troubled because she blames herself for everything that has gone wrong in her life. She also has a difficult time transitioning from being Jack's sole source of…. Everything.... to just being one part of his world. Jack meanwhile spends almost all of his time trying to comprehend the size of the world. What is good, what is bad, who he can trust and where he is supposed to fit into it. “Room” becomes something painfully human and heart-aching.  Every moment is a revelation. 

The producers of "Room" made it for next to nothing, which is perfect because it is one of the most character-driven films you'll ever see. There is nothing in it that required special effects or stunt-people. Much has been made of Brie Larson's performance as Joy, and I think that is justified as she is fabulous in it. But the kid who plays Jack, Jacob Tremblay .... I don't even know how to describe this performance. He is utterly astonishing. He will make you love him, he will make you laugh, and he will break your heart into a million pieces. 

To give you an idea of how much he captivates in this role, late in the film there is a scene where he is sitting in the bathroom with his grandmother after she washes his hair. He speaks only four words. And because of his delivery I was wiping away tears. I am misting up right now just thinking about it.

“Room” is, for my money, easily the best movie of 2015. It also has the two best lead performances of 2015, with all due respect to DiCaprio, Damon et al. This is one of those movie-going experiences you never forget. It is staggeringly brilliant in every way.  Highest possible recommendation