Room by Lenny Abrahamson

Since the first frames of the movie, we are inside “the room”. The camera shows some details of a tiny space where a mother (Brie Larson) and her son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) live together. It is immediately clear that this room represents Jack's entire world. He was born there and there he has always lived and has been happy: he is with his mother, and such a small world holds many surprises for him. Even though once a week, at midnight, Jack has to sleep in the wardrobe because a man called “Old Nick”(Sean Bridgers) enters the room. Jack believes that Old Nick is some sort of god who controls their life: he brings them food, water, clothes and sometimes even presents. Actually, Old Nick is the reason why they are in the room. When Jack reaches the age of five, his mother decides to reveal the truth to him about their life, and about the real world outside “the room”.

Jacob Tremblay as Jack and Brie Larson as Ma - © 2015 Element Pictures Above: Jacob Tremblay and Brie Larson - © 2015 Element Pictures

Emma Donoghue, who wrote both the novel and the screenplay of this movie, explores in a really original way the relationship between a mother and her child. She puts the characters in an exceptional circumstance, examining their reactions and their feelings with great sensitivity. The main question of the movie is whether there is a right way to be a mother or not.

Still of Jacob Tremblay - © 2015 Element Pictures

Lenny Abrahamson looks for the answer to this question, drawing attention to the extraordinary performances by Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay.

Jacob Tremblay and Brie Larson - © 2015 Element Pictures

Eventually, Room shows that there are no rules about how to be a good parent: a mother can even build an enormous lie in order to make her child happy and this message reminds me of another movie: Life is Beautiful by Roberto Benigni. Despite of all the differences between these two movies, the primary idea is the same: where there is love, there is also the strength to give happiness to your beloved ones, even in extreme circumstances.

Director: Lenny Abrahamson

Writer: Emma Donoghue (based on her novel)

Cast: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers, Wendy Crewson, Sandy McMaster, Matt Gordon Year: 2015

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