Room Movie Review

Room (2015)

Rent Room on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link) 
Written by: Emma Donoghue (screenplay, based on the novel by) 
Directed by: Lenny Abrahamson
Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Jack experiences the world for the first time after escaping captivity with his mom.

Verdict
This is an amazing, intense, and gripping movie, unlike anything I've seen. It pushes the boundaries of how a movie can make you feel, more than even The Revenant or Mad Max which were front runners for the best picture Oscar. This movie deserves so much praise. Powerful directing and performances create an intense and evocative drama. It's incredibly harrowing and moving. 
Watch it.

Review
I knew going into this what it was about. I tried to imagine how my experience would change knowing nothing about this movie. I suppose it would be a surprising revelation once the situation dawned on me, but knowing the plot doesn't diminish the impact of the movie at all.
I also expected big performances from Larson and Tremblay, and I wasn't disappointed.
The movie begins in a small unkempt room. It has the basics for survival, but why they are in the room isn't apparent. Jack's mom, Joy, is a prisoner and Jack thinks this is the extent of the world. She's shielded him from their stark reality.

We're introduced to their captor Nick through Jack's point of view. Joy puts him to sleep in an armoire. I slowly realized why he was in the armoire. The script does a great job of presenting a clue or hint, and letting it slowly dawn on you what's happening.
After the first appearance of Nick, the camera slowly pulls back and you realize the entire movie has taken place in this cell.
This movie is emotionally draining. Joy has to reconcile her situation of being captive while trying to paint the world as a positive place for her son. She has to deal with a captor who tries to shame her into being thankful when he provides basic necessities. Nick doesn't even know what five year old Jack looks like. Though Jack looks like he's eight and can read and write. I can't blame the movie, an actual five year old would make production incredibly difficult.

Jacob Tremblay, Brie Larson  play Jack, Joy

The movie has a slow, brooding mood as it slowly reveals more details about this world. Abrahamson expertly films in this room and gets great performances out of the actors. I can't wait to see what he does next. This movie proves his extraordinary talent.

Joy decides to escape by using Jack. When she tells him a world exists outside of room, Jack can't believe it. His mother has told him room is everything. Joy relates her kidnapping and how she has been imprisoned for seven years. It's difficult for her to admit what happened when she has denied it to Jack. Jack's world is upending. It's bigger than he thought and he has to deal with the realization that his mom is admitting she lied to him. She presents it as now that he's five he is old enough to know, but that's a huge revelation for Jack.

It's emotionally exhausting as Joy preps Jack for the escape. What if it goes wrong? Even if Jack escapes what will happen to Joy? It's a huge risk for both of them. Jack has no comprehension of what's happening or what Joy has endured. The only person she loves in the world is leaving. I had complete empathy for her, and the movie slowly increases intensity. She is making the ultimate sacrifice and Brie Larson is absolutely amazing. It an intense sequence.

I had to wonder  if either of them have ever been sick. Obviously they've never left the room, and maybe the decreased exposure is why they haven't been sick.

When Nick carries Jack's body, rolled up in a carpet, out of the shed, we see the world for the first time. This prison is an ordinary shed in a typical backyard. It was a surreal moment when Jack gets a glimpse of the sky for the first time. The sequence of his escape hit me like few things in a movie ever have. The emotional impact is huge. The direction is stunning, and this movie is incredible. The scene teeters between will he or won't he escape. Regardless of the outcome, what will happen to Joy?

Jack knows so little about the world. He's only seen it through television and he's never been away from his mom. Even outside of room, he still lives in captivity. 

Jacob Tremblay, Brie Larson  play Jack, Joy

Joy reunites with her parents who have since divorced. Her father is unwilling to even look at Jack. You understand his reasons, but by shunning Jack he's shunning his daughter. The movie hinted at her father's feelings before revealing them. The story has such subtlety.

Joy has to be resentful of everyone that got to keep living their lives like nothing ever happened. She's having trouble adjusting. She had a mission to protect Jack before. Jack has an easier time since he's so young, noting that time has to be spread extra thin since there is no much space. He's constantly being told to hurry up.

I can't say enough good things about this movie. This movie is incredibly well-crafted. It tells a small story in terms of scale, though huge in emotional impact. It never feels slow, and it's always engrossing, engaging, and intense. When Joy and Jack go back to room, at his behest, he comments that room seems so small now that the door is open.