Room

I knew from the moment I saw this movie that it was a contender for Best Picture at the Oscars and it's a Canadian film! The acting is the best quality of "Room" and the sense of realism does wonders for the story. You become emotionally invested in the movie as a result.

The license plates in the movie tell us that this movie takes place in Ohio so it is hard to not think about the Ariel Castro kidnappings. What sets this movie apart so far from other films heading into the awards season is how the elements work together to create realism. The hand-held cinematography is the first element I wish to point out. The second is the color tones because they are diluted throughout the movie. Speaking of color, I appreciate the white used in the hospital scenes. It contasts what we have seen so far. The movie is so good that even though we know much of the story from the trailer, we still fear for Joy and Jack as they plan their escape. Our involvement on an emotional level creates serious questions in our minds. What would it be like to know nothing except one room? What would it then be like to be shown the real world? Could you psychologically deal with this change? Feral children still have a slim chance of recovery at age five so Jack's progression is well within the realm of plausibility. He had his mother and television, which prepared him for his escape. There is drama throughout the film. We have the tragedy and terror from being trapped by Old Nick, which changes to the anguish and difficulty of trying to fit back into the outside world after the escape. You share in the feelings of the characters very well as mentioned. A few plot points stand out. Just like the stranger who runs into Jack, I also thought that Jack was actually a girl when I first saw the trailer. The haircut really changes how we look at Jack. He is adjusting to life outside more than ever before. The line that almost got me crying is directed to his grandmother after his haircut. As the film moves forward, our concern shifts from Jack to Joy. After that many years of sexual abuse, will "Ma" recover? The talk show host sure comes across as an antagonist. A real TV host would not ask the questions she did. The movie ends on a good note and best of all, the plot has bookends.

Another aspect of "Room" that creates the illusion of realism is the acting. The best performance goes to Jacob Tremblay obviously but that should not take away from the work that Brie Larson did. In my opinion, both actors fed off each other to create two amazing performances. I have seen Wendy Crewson in "The Santa Clause" and also in "Air Force One" (my favorite film of hers). In fact, we have two actors from "Air Force One" performing in room: Crewson and William H. Macy. This movie received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. This was my favorite film in the Best Picture catagory but it was not to be. Larson won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. History has shown that if you win a Golden Globe and a SAG for a performance, expect an Oscar to be on the way. When she did win the Academy Award, I was happy for Larson. I was quite disappointed however that Jacob Tremblay didn't get his Oscar nomination. Controversy arose during awards season concerning which actor had the leading role in the movie? We experience the film through Jack's eyes, especially during the escape so is he the lead actor? It was a tough call but I feel it doesn't matter. We should focus instead on how well they did. It is the combination of the all the cinematic elements that create realism and which make "Room" special.

4 Stars