Room, directed by Lenny Abrahamson, stands out amongst the selection of exceptional films released before the Academy Awards for its setting. Events in Room mostly take place in a house in the suburbs. It’s adapted from the book of the same name by Emma Donoghue. The book was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2010, and Donoghue has also written the screenplay for the film.
The story is set in America when Joy (Brie Larson) is abducted as a teenager by a man referred to as ‘Old Nick’. Joy and her five year old son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) are imprisoned by him in ‘Room’, which is his garden shed. Jack was born 2 years after Joy was taken prisoner. He has never been outdoors in daylight.
Some people may find all this rather grim and distressing viewing. It’s based on the real life story of Elisabeth Fritzl held prisoner in a basement in Austria. Donaghue works around this issue by introducing parallel narrative threads which offset each other, reflecting the symbiotic relationship between mother and son.
Room is also a film of 2 parts. We’re given a glimpse of Joy’s woeful story. We see her looking up in anguish at the skylight, her only window to world after having metaphorically fallen down a rabbit-hole alluding to Alice in Wonderland. But events in the first half are mostly seen through the eyes of young Jack giving us a very different perspective. He is is oblivious to his situation and the outside world because Joy (Ma) has invented an alternative reality to protect him from the truth surrounding his captivity.
We see him at his daily routine which takes place within the limits of a confined space 10 feet square. But for Jack ‘Room’ is vast and filled with wonder. It should be noted that Jacob Tremblay does a terrific job of portraying this precocious and imaginative little boy.
Ma must backtrack and tell Jack the truth, which is a shock for him, when she makes a bid to escape. As such, the film also reminds me of Boyhood in terms of highlighting the importance of nurturing and self-sacrifice to ensure the wellbeing of children.
The film’s engaging first half culminates with their very gripping bid for freedom, but what follows on afterwards doesn’t quite pan out as I’d hoped. This focuses on Joy’s rehabilitation which isn’t a smooth process. Her recovery is hampered by new predators that lurk beyond the safety of home - the press, who are eager to tell her extraordinary story. Brie Larson gives a raw performance as Joy when she confronts her terrible experience. This is gritty but also quite heavy going and at times tough viewing.
Meanwhile Jack is introduced to the rest of his family, as he gradually adjusts to the real world. He tries out new types of breakfast cereal, plays with Lego and explores the extra rooms in his grandmother’s house. He seems to luxuriate in the space after living within a confined area.
Room’s second half lacks momentum but it does remind us of the forces of fate, chance and hope at work here, and the life changing implications of random events. This is an understated film interweaving a harrowing story with some lighter elements by way of Jack’s reading of events, and capturing the nuances of daily life in the suburbs. It (like Boyhood) ends on a hopeful note - here we see Joy and Jack taking a stroll outdoors, basking in the fresh air and their newly found freedom.