Based on Emma Donoghue's original novel, 'Room' has appeared in cinemas starring Brie Larson (Joy) and Jacob Tremblay (Jack). In the publicity, it was portrayed as a happy-go-lucky film which focuses on the amazing experiences of young boy and his mother after escaping from captivity.
In contrast, the film itself focuses on the struggle to maintain relationships and mental health. A large quantity of it is set inside the room itself and highlights Joy's physical and emotional deterioration. The plot contains dark themes such as abuse, suicide and broken relationships which coincide with the uplifting, joyous tone mainly featured in the second half.
Throughout the film, there are several plot lines which are abandoned leaving the audience with little sense of closure in those areas. Whilst overall the music is exceptional and complimented the scenes, there are instances where the music appears too orchastrated for an extremely intimate film. Furthermore, the drastic contrast between the actual film and how it was advertised could put an audience off as it may not be what they expect. However, Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay give absolutely outstanding performances, the emotion is so raw and they often appeared truly vulnerable. The cinematography is incredible, allowing the audience to view the world from Jack's perspective be it good, bad or not understood and the plot explores the physcological effect, not just of being in captivity but the aftermath as well, which is rare to see.
Overall, despite misleading advertising and minor plot holes, 'Room' is a capturing, emotional film demonstrating how trauma can effect an individual and their relationships with others. Larson and Tramblay give unmissable performances and I hope to see them in more. Finally, congratulations and respect to Lenny Abrahamson, director, for taking such a delicate issue and turning it into a thought provoking, well constructed film.
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