Skip to main content

Review: Room (2015)

Lenny Abrahamson’s Room is an emotionally gripping drama that masterfully balances tension and tenderness, anchored by a tour de force performance from Brie Larson. Hailing from Sacramento (bravo to a local actor on a career-making performance), Larson delivers a career-defining portrayal of Joy “Ma” Newsome, a young woman held captive for seven years, who raises her son, Jack, in a confined 10x10-foot space they call “Room.”

The film is effectively divided into two distinct halves: life within the suffocating confines of the room and life outside as Joy and Jack grapple with the daunting task of reintegration. The transition between these two worlds is stark, offering a jarring yet fascinating juxtaposition of isolation versus the overwhelming freedom—and chaos—of the outside world.

The suspense sequences, particularly those surrounding their escape, are executed with such precision that they leave the audience breathless, as the stakes feel both intimate and monumental. This nail-biting intensity contrasts sharply with the quieter but equally harrowing emotional struggles of post-captivity life.

At its core, Room is a profound exploration of forced adaptation, as both Joy and Jack must recalibrate their senses of self and belonging. Larson’s nuanced performance conveys not only the weight of Joy’s trauma but also her fierce determination to protect her son, earning her a well-deserved Academy Award. Young Jacob Tremblay is also exceptional, bringing raw authenticity to Jack’s wide-eyed wonder and confusion.

With its haunting storytelling and deeply human core, Room is an unforgettable film that lingers long after the credits roll. It’s a testament to resilience, the bond between mother and child, and the indomitable human spirit.

Wren Valentino

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Last Showgirl (2024)

A Poetic Ode to Dreams, Regret, and Reinvention Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl is a breathtaking, deeply felt meditation on time, memory, and resilience, set against the neon glow and lingering shadows of Las Vegas. At once an elegy for a fading era and a celebration of reinvention, this film is not just a triumph—it’s a revelation. Pamela Anderson delivers a career-best performance as a former showgirl grappling with the passage of time and the ever-changing landscape of the Strip. Her performance is nuanced and radiant, filled with aching vulnerability and fierce determination. Anderson’s portrayal transcends nostalgia, giving us a woman who is both haunted by the past and courageously forging a future. The film’s emotional core reaches its most devastating moment when Jamie Lee Curtis, in a performance of stunning poignancy, takes center stage. As Annette, a once-revered Vegas veteran, Curtis breaks every heart in the audience with an impromptu solo dance to Bonnie Tyler’s Total E...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Man with The Answers (2021)

The Man with the Answers (2021) is a rare and exquisite film—one that lingers in the mind long after the final frame fades to black. It is, without question, one of the most profoundly moving cinematic explorations of love between two men, crafted with the kind of quiet elegance and emotional depth that few films achieve. Director Stelios Kammitsis approaches this story with an artist’s eye and a poet’s sensibility, allowing moments of connection to unfold naturally, without forced exposition or grand gestures. The cinematography is simply breathtaking, with each frame carefully composed to capture not only the external beauty of the Greek and Italian landscapes but also the unspoken emotions simmering beneath the surface. Shades of blue—haunting, melancholic, and deeply symbolic—dominate the film’s visual language, evoking the vastness of the sea, the depth of longing, and the memories of a life once defined by water. Yet, what elevates The Man with the Answers beyond mere aesthetic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Tourist Trap (1979)

Tourist Trap (1979) is a uniquely eerie entry in the late ’70s horror canon, blending elements of the slasher and supernatural thriller genres to create an unsettling experience that lingers long after the credits roll. Directed by David Schmoeller and produced by Charles Band, the film takes a familiar setup—young travelers stumbling upon a strange roadside attraction—and twists it into a nightmarish fever dream filled with living mannequins, bizarre telekinetic powers, and a villain as unnerving as he is compelling. At the heart of Tourist Trap ’s effectiveness is Chuck Connors, whose performance as the mysterious and menacing Mr. Slausen is both unexpected and chilling. Known primarily for his heroic roles in Westerns, Connors leans fully into the film’s off-kilter tone, making Slausen alternately charming, tragic, and terrifying. His ability to shift between avuncular warmth and sinister cruelty adds layers to what could have been a standard horror antagonist, making him one of t...
Post a Comment
Read more