Lead actress and Oscar nominee Brie Larson portrays a young mother, Ma, who lives in a small decrepit room with her five-year-old son Jack, both of which are held hostage and try to escape from “Old Nick,” who is played by Sean Bridgers. “Jack, listen to me, this is our chance,” Ma says in a stern voice, as mother and son plot their escape. She trains her son to help them leave that confined environment that they were held hostage, and then their story blows up into a big media event.
She then takes her son to her parents’ house, which are played by Joan Allen and William H. Macy respectively, and it is a tense relationship since Jack became accustomed to the “room” that they had been living in. Without giving too much away, it is interesting to see how their relationship unfolds throughout the film.
Larson also pulls the deglam card in this role, and that works in the favor of young actresses when it comes to awards considerations.
The Verdict
Room is filled with raw emotions, and spellbinding performances that will send chills down one’s spine. Lenny Abrahamson did a solid job with its direction, and author Emma Donoghue did a brilliant job writing the screenplay, where she was able to bring her novel to life. After winning the Golden Globe award for “Best Actress in a Drama,” Brie Larson deserves to win the Academy Award for her moving performance, and so does Donoghue for its adapted screenplay. Room earns 5 out of 5 stars.
