Brie Larson shines as conflicted mother in Room

Director Lenny Abrahamson’s portrayal of Emma Donoghue’s bestselling novel, Room, is mesmerizing. Starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, Room follows a mother and son’s harrowing escape. Jack (Tremblay) narrates the story of his mother, Joy (Larson), whom he calls “Ma.”  The mother-son duo live in a
10-by-10 foot space, which Jack calls “Room.” Having lived in Room his whole life, Jack is unaware of the world that exists outside of it. However, after turning five years old, everything starts to change. Ma tells him the truth about the outside world, and they begin to create a plan for escape. Even scarier than the idea of staying in Room is the world outside of it. Jack and Joy’s greatest challenges find them on the other side of Room’s four walls.

Larson’s performance is haunting and has topped multiple Oscar prediction lists. Her depiction of Joy’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities puts the audience in her shoes as she shines in portraying a woman in suffering. Larson portrays a heroic mother, sacrificing her mental well-being in order to protect the innocence of her son. Joy’s ultimate purpose in life is to protect Jack, often forcing her to be untruthful to him. By keeping the truth about Room from Jack until he reaches the age of five, Joy provides him with a happy childhood he would not have experienced had he known the truth about their living situation. Upon discovering the truth about the outside world, Jack reacts with disbelief, followed by anger. He does not want to believe that there is more to life than what his mother had told him all his life. However, the precocious Jack quickly comes around after he realizes his mother may have been telling him the truth. Larson movingly depicts Joy’s spiral into depression after her only ally does not believe her. The tiredness in her eyes shows the look of a woman who no longer has a desire to live.The sheer misery she encounters on a daily basis followed by the occasional glimpses of hope she faces are bound to have audiences leaving the theater in tears. Ultimately, Larson does a stunning job of portraying a woman in such a difficult and draining position.

Similarly, Tremblay’s representation of Jack is equally heartbreaking as he succeeds in portraying the lively innocence that thrives in children even in the most dreadful situations. Jack’s curiosity and eagerness for life is strikingly distant from his mother’s tired and somber disposition. Just like a real five year old, Jack throws tantrums at the worst possible times and is often angry at things he does not understand. Tremblay’s narrations are chilling, as they reflect the innocence of a five year old blissfully unaware of the fact that he is placed in a grievous situation.

Room does an excellent job of following the original novel’s storyline. Some of Jack’s narrations come straight from the book and add a haunting tone to the movie as they reflect his childlike nature while overlaying some of the most depressing parts of the movie. Additionally, the cinematography does a fine job of portraying the world from Jack’s perspective, portraying his vision of Room as a much nicer place than it is in reality. However, the images and sounds from the scenes where Jack sleeps in his wardrobe are particularly difficult to watch, as Jack’s innocence is greatly endangered. As Jack counts the seconds that pass, time seems to slow down, forcing the viewer to fully engulf everything that is happening.

Abrahamson has succeeded in making an incredible film about human resilience. Though the main storyline of Room is rather heavy, Abrahamson strongly contrasts the worst aspects of the story by allowing Jack’s character to flourish. Throughout the movie, Jack is never fully aware of the real reason he and his mother lived in Room so, to him, the story is more about his personal growth and discovery of the outside world. His thirst for learning and curiosity about life add a heartwarming spark to an otherwise gut-wrenching movie. The contrast between Jack’s positive outlook and his mother’s cynical perspective creates a perfect balance that is maintained throughout the film even after their escape from the confines of Room. This movie effortlessly follows a storyline rarely explored in film due to dark undertones. However, despite its these  undertones, Room somehow upholds a fairly bright outlook due to Jack’s chillingly pleasant narrations. Room is a masterful movie that surely will not disappoint.