Franklinmovie

Love knows no boundaries.

Room, Ireland/Canada, 2015. Directed by L. Abrahamson, written by E. Donoghue (from her own novel). With Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay. Original music by S. Rennicks. Length: 118′. Rated: R.

Kidnapped when she was 17, Joy has been kept captive in a shed ever since and, as seven years passed, she was abused and got pregnant with Jack, now aged 5. Joy has spent her life trying to protect Jack from the world, creating the illusion for him that Room was the actual world and that there’s nothing outside: but the time has come for her to give the chance of a better life to her son…

Here we are: will this be the real entrance to the movie star-system for Lenny Abrahamson, after a couple of greatly undervalued works like “Garage” (2007) and “Frank” (2014)? Maybe not, as “Room” couldn’t reach the great box-office gross that other blockbusters reached last year, but the one Academy Award won by the talented and young Brie Larson could help this movie into that ever-long list of movies turned into cult ones by time.

All of this argument could be nothing but a good dream, let’s be realistic: I will keep my opinion and the world will keep on spinning. Right?

And what’s my opinion? Well, as I guess is clear by now, this movie is one of the best I’ve seen in the past year. Not perfect, but since almost half of it is shot inside an extremely narrow space, with only two characters interacting (and one of them is a supposedly 5-year-old child), the result is great. The absence of whatsoever color, the scanty light coming from the ‘skylight’, the empathic dialogues and perfect characterization of both Joy and Jack makes it all unpredictably enjoyable. After the escape, the story seems doomed to become prosaic, whereas the screenplay still insist on the child more than on the mother, holding the attention more and more tightly until the really twisting finale (which I won’t spoil).

Since Abrahamson is not the most experienced director around nor Donoghue is the greatest writer of modern cinema (actually, this was her first screenplay adapted from her own book), I think the result should have been more appreciated.

As I was saying before: Brie Larson. She is far more talented than her filmography seems to suggest and, probably, this great portrait of this young mother, kidnapped, abused and forced to raise a child in those difficult conditions can pave the way for a successful career. And how about Jacob Tremblay, 9-year-old kid playing a 5-year-old and wearing a long-haired wig throughout the whole movie? He is the true surprise: with 14 prizes won this year and more nominations, not only as ‘young actor’ but also as ‘supporting’ and even a couple as ‘leading’ actor, he immediately enters the range of children destined to a great future (if he carries on). This was absolutely no easy role, even for an adult, with a story which would be quite difficult only to be explained to someone his age. Astonishing.

Something on the music by Stephen Rennicks: he doesn’t have an enormous background, but he is a narrow work partner of Abrahamson’s and in a movie like this knowing the director comes in handy; the risk of having the music create all the emotional impact on the viewer was well avoided, and this is a good starting point: on the other hand, something more could maybe have been achieved in highlighting the decisive moment of the breakout, but the choice of not invading with soundtrack that dramatic moment is partly understandable.

I honestly recommend this movie, one of those films that, in my opinion, should be seen at least once: maybe not just because of its intrinsic value, but for the courage of both director and screenwriter and above all for the empathy that both the leading actors give.

 

DOWNLOAD REVIEW IN PDF: Room, 2015

LEGGI LA RECENSIONE IN ITALIANO: Room – Recensione