Overview
Jack is a young boy of 5 years old who has lived all his life in one room. He believes everything within it are the only real things in the world. But what will happen when his Ma suddenly tells him that there are other things outside of Room?
The premise of Room does not sound promising. A young woman is bringing up her young child, both confined to a small shed that she has been held captive in for seven years by an abductor. The child, who has just turned five years of age, has no idea what the outside world looks like other than through TV images, which his mother has described to him as from outer space.
The pair go through their daily routine as best they can, their only sight of the world through a skylight in the shed. They have plumbing and electricity, and their provisions are provided by their abductor (“old Nick”) so that they can cook in their tiny world. The only sight of Old Nick is indirect – he visits regularly to rape the main character, played by Brie Larson.
What is remarkable is how the film somehow manages to maintain the audience’s interest in what on the surface is an unremittingly grim situation. It eschews thriller-style tension as Ms Larson’s character concocts some poorly thought through escape plans. Yet despite the restrictions of the situation and the limited cast of characters, the film takes us in unexpected directions and retains a resolutely upbeat thread through the seemingly desperate circumstances. The child actor’s performance is impressive, and Brie Larson is very engaging as a mother who is simply doing her best to protect and bring up her child in desperate circumstances. The direction never misses a beat and the script is terrific – a most impressive movie. Room may not have a view, but it does have a heart.
