I get the feeling that, due to the themes of the films I have chosen to focus on during this min adventure, most of the films I will watch in the next few weeks a going to be proper downers. However, I think I'll struggle to watch a film that is a big a downer as 'Room' (2015). Now, it actually ends quite optimistically, but the emotional rollercoaster it puts you through to get there is pretty brutal. After the pick me up that was 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004) this one brought me crashing back down to earth. The film follows 5 year old Jack (Jacob Tremblay) and his mother, known to him as Ma (Brie Larson), who are being held captive in a shed that Jack calls 'Room'. This is the only existence Jack has ever known having been born in Room and he is happy with his life. However, Ma makes a plan for the two of them to escape and when the plan is successful it becomes a challenge for the two of them to redust into the real world.
Reading that plot synopsis you would think that the more depressing moments of the film would come while Jack and Ma are stuck in Room. But, while there are definitely some dark and quite hard to watch sequences during that period, the films hits hardest once they have escaped from captivity. While in Room there is an air of whimsy and innocence to everything. They are shown enjoying life and having fun despite the terrible situation they find themselves in. What the film does do really well is it flips what you expect from the characters on its head once they escape. As an audience member I expected Jack to find it most difficult to join the real world having never been a part of it, however it is Ma who really struggles. Jack is shown to have troubles of his own, but it is his mother who has the hardest time after leaving Room. This is something that really works for the film as it already feels like two films in one, one film with them in Room and one with them out of it. It even has a huge cathartic moment that feels climatic once Jack and Ma manage to escape, but this is only half way through the film. By throwing expectations of how the second half was going to go the film manged to keep my attention. There are some narrative issues with the film, notably an issue that is brought up regarding Ma's dad. I won't spoil it, but it was a really interesting narrative thread that was brought up, but then as soon as it is introduced as a plot point is dropped and never resolved. As for the filmmaking it is solid. There is nothing flashy in regards to its cinematography or editing, but it works in creating a mood within the film and sucks you into the tense and emotional moments really well. It also has a great soundtrack, although there was one moment where the music seemed to be portraying whimsy while I was feeling tension.
The film is really built on its performances, and boy does it have some good performances. Even in the smaller roles everyone is fantastic. But the stand out performances come from Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay and Joan Allen, who plays Ma's mother. Out of the three Allen has the least screen time, but she does leave an impression. She plays the role of the mother brilliantly, portraying joy, sadness, concern and love with ease. It is a moving performance and one that has a couple stand out moments that stayed with me after the film had ended. Jacob Tremblay is also brilliant as Jack. Child actors are so often hit and miss but he puts in a brilliant performance, which for this film is crucial as he is the character through which we see the narrative. He manages to get across the innocence of a young child but is also really effective in the emotional moments as well. There are a couple of moments where I found him annoying but these were the times where he was meant to be annoying so that shows how effective his performance was. Brie Larson is absolutely superb in this film. She won an Oscar for this performance and I feel like it was absolutely deserve. Her performance is devastating but optimistic and her chemistry with Jacob Tremblay is so believable and that really boosted the emotional impact of the film. She is the stand out star of film hands down.
'Room' is an absolute rollercoaster of emotions, mostly depressing ones. It is a brilliantly performed film and it is these performances that really carry the film. There are a couple of narrative hiccups in the film and the fact that the film does feel like it is split in to two halves and this does mean that it takes a while to get back into the narrative once this happens. However, it is a brilliant film and I fully recommend watching itn just maybe not in this current climate. For now I'd stick to more cheery films unless you are masochist like me, in that case knoeck yourself out.