ROOM

Canada/Ireland, 2015, 118 minutes, Colour.
Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, Tom Mc Camus, Sean Bridgers, Wendy Crewson, William H.Macy.
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson.

Room is quite an ambiguous title. Audiences may be expecting The Room or A Room. But, with the simplicity of Room, it may indicate some spaciousness, room to move, or it may indicate lack of room, confinement. In the first part of the film, we discover just how confining Room actually is. It is one room. There are no windows to look out of, only a skylight.

We have read, over the last several years, stories of women being abducted by predatory men, virtually imprisoned in their house, disappearing from their relatives and families, confined as playthings or sex slaves for the men. Some of the women have escaped and have told their sad stories. This is one of them.

Brie Larson plays Joy, a comparatively young woman who lives in this single room with her young son, Jack, turning 5. While they have television, Jack has no real idea of the outside world, it is a fantasy, one with the images from television and apprehended by a little boy. He knows nothing outside the room and himself is quite joyful and, as a goes to bed, he says good night to every aspect of his room, his home. Sometimes Old Nick, as they call him, turns up with some food, some presents like toys, and spends the night with Joy and then goes off again.

This is a difficult film to review without indicating some of the plot developments. Most audiences will know that, eventually, mother and son do come out of the room, quite a dramatic experience for both, a relief for the mother, quite some bewilderment of the boy.

Joy’s parents have not known where she has been. Her mother, Joan Allen, tries her best to help her daughter and her grandson. Her husband, Joy’s father, has left home and lives a long way away, presumably unable to face what has happened. He is played by William H. Macy, appearing only in a few scenes but a very telling and disturbing performance. At home, Joy’s mother’s new partner tries his best with the boy, making some breakthroughs.

Clearly, not everything will go as everyone wants, including the audience hopes for Joy and Jack, which makes the latter part of the film quite tense, Joy having to deal with the trauma and coming back to real life, Jack catching up on life with other people.

Brie Larson is excellent in the role. And the performance by the young actor, Jacob Tremblay, is quite astounding, so convincing he is. This is an Irish-Canadian? coproduction which, inexplicably, is set in the United States. It is the work of the Irish director, Lenny Abrahamson, who has made some very striking films: some with comic touches, Adam and Paul, Garage, and some with more serious touches, What Richard Did, Frank. He has built up already a serious body of cinema work.

1. The impact of the film? Awards?

2. Irish/Canadian production? The financing? Locating the story in the US? The work of the director and his small films and their effectiveness?

3. The title, literal, the references by Jack, the impact of the room for the audience and the characters?

4. The first part of the film, confined, the use of close-ups for the characters, the claustrophobia for the audience, the need for patience in looking at this part of the story, sharing the experience of Joy and Jack on their confinement, the revelation about Old Nick? Joy and Jack staying in the room so long? The need to get out?

5. The room, the size, the skylight as the only light, the sky, the bath and the toilet, the kitchen, the wardrobe and Jack sleeping in there, looking through the slats? Joy as Jack’s Ma? Her age, the abduction, the pregnancy, the birth, seven years in the room, four years looking after Jack? Old Nick, the sexual relationship? Her care in love, guiding Jack, having to be severe, remembering her past life, Nick bringing the food, the toy for Jack, the nights in the room? The film not making any condemnation of Nick’s behaviour explicit until after they were out of room? The only news of his arrest coming through watching the television reports?

6. Jack, his appearance, the transition from 4 to 5, hair, looking like a girl? Playing, watching television, the images, no awareness of the world and its reality? His dependence on his mother, on the television? Enjoying making the cake, his fifth birthday, upset? The joys, the bath, the meals? Nick bringing the toy, watching through the slats of the wardrobe? Saying goodnight to every part of the room?

7. Joy and her idea of getting Jack out, getting him ready, the carpet, rolling him in the carpet, telling Nick that he was dead, Nick waiting till dusk, putting the carpet in the truck, driving, the bouncing the Jack, his getting free from the carpet, jumping and its effect?

8. Nick, trying to get Jack back, the man walking his dog, his interventions? Nick leaving? The police, the unsympathetic driver, the sympathetic policewoman, her gentle talking to Jack? The information, his remembering the three stops, the red car, the satellite image and finding the house?

9. Joy being rescued, reunited with Jack, their fears, going to the hospital, Jack’s bewilderment, going to sleep? The Doctor, his kindness, helping?

10. Jack at five, sheltered, no real idea of the world, the reflections on different space, different times, people in a hurry? His wearing a mask to avoid germs and infection?

11. Getting out of the hospital, meeting his grandmother and grandfather, Leo? Going to the house, his having his room, the difficulty in going up the steps? His looking at the photos? The gift of the Lego, Joy wanting him to have some kind of relating to reality?

12. His grandmother, kind, Leo and his being pleasant, Leo enticing him to the cereal, talking about the dog, later bringing the dog, Jack and his happiness, patting the dog?

13. The presence of the grandfather, at the hospital, the meal table, Joy and her challenging him, his inability to speak to her, to look at Jack, his having left his wife early, his inability to face reality?

14. Jack and his recovery, step-by-step, Joy and her influence, her talking to her mother, the comment on being nice and this leading to her helping with the dog and her being abducted? The overall effect, the suicide attempt, in hospital, the phone call to Jack, her quiet return?

15. Jack and his grandmother, learning, the issue of the strength in his hair, having the haircut, giving the hair to his mother? His playing ball with his friend, with the dog?

16. Jack wanting to visit room? The kind policewoman? He and his mother at the house, going into room, Jack thinking it small, saying goodbye to every aspect?

17. Joy, gradual recovery, the bonds between Jack and his mother, Joy and the family? The film pending in hope?