This Thursday, the movie Room will be released into cinemas here in Australia. I’ve seen it. Ever since I saw it, I have been trying to think of the best way to write about it here, because this is a deeply haunting yet incredibly inspiring movie.
I did not want to spoil this movie for anyone, but then I saw the ads they are putting on TV and realised the ads themselves give away the one thing I did not want to mention. Plus, I knew the spoiler before I saw it and it didn’t change my reaction to it.
Room is the story of “Ma” and “Jack”. Ma was kidnapped several years ago and has since been held captive in “room” which is a small garden shed, sexually abused by Old Nick. At some point during her captivity, she becomes pregnant and gives birth to Jack, who has never been out of the tiny room.
Room is the only world Jack knows – and by extension, the world we begin to know, because we see events through his eyes and from his perspective. Ma carefully shields the realities of their situation from Jack and when Old Nick is due to visit, Jack is hidden away in a cupboard, where he sleeps.
Knowing that Old Nick has lost his job, foreclosure is imminent, and suspecting they will both be murdered rather than released, Ma comes up with plans to escape. After some failures, one attempt is a success. No more room. You can imagine how terrifying this is for Jack.
This is probably one of the best movies I have seen, ever. I loved these characters and I wished the movie was twice or three times as long, I really wanted to spend more time with them. I love the way they showed us how broken Ma has become but not showing us the abuse itself – there is no need, we understand what is going on.
This movie will make you feel all the feels. There were times I was laughing, there is one scene that had my heart feeling like it was trying to escape my chest, another scene where tears were just running down my face..
If you see only one Oscar nominated film this year, make it this one. ;)
