Room

Dir: Lenny Abrahamson

2015

*****

2015's Room finally sees director Lenny Abrahamson get the recognition he deserves. The Dublin director has been one of the world's best directors since his 2004 debut (Adam & Paul) but it seems he had to make a further four films before everyone realized it. I'm a huge fan of his work, his second film Garage cemented the fact he was a contender for me, What Richard Did proved he could do serious drama without the comedy and his fictional Frank Sidebottom biopic Frank is one of my favourite films of all time. Room, it is fair to say, is his first proper mainstream film although it is far from mainstream. Sometimes direction and performance are so powerful a film that would normally appeal to few people becomes universally enjoyed. Room is that film. Emma Donoghue, the author of the book the film is based on, wrote the screenplay, making it somewhat of an authentic adaptation. Her story is based on the case of Austrian Josef Fritzl. Fritzl kept his daughter locked in a basement for twenty-four years, repeatedly raped her and fathered several children with her. Elisabeth Fritzl eventually escaped with her children in 2008, their adjustment into the outside world being what inspired Room. Elements of the story are identical but Donoghue's version is more concentrated to just one woman and her single son. It's unimaginable to think what it would be like for a child who has never once left the room they were born in to enter the real world. Donoghue and Abrahamson explore that world quite movingly. It's a complicated journey, as I'm sure it was for the Fritzl family and it is treated appropriately. The film appears dream-like in places but this isn't art over substance, the visuals compliment the performances beautifully, and what performances they are. Brie Larson deserves the nominations and recognition she has received for her role as abducted girl turned mother. It's hard to think of a better performance whereby strength and weakness has been so brilliantly projected. Nine year old Quvenzhane Wallis was nominated for the Oscar for her performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild and much deserved she was but how or why young Jacob Tremblay wasn't nominated is a bit of a travesty. Hopefully he knows that awards mean very little to true actors, no doubt he has a colourful future ahead of him as his performance in Room is nothing short of magnificent. If his character had been portrayed by anyone of a lesser talent it just wouldn't have worked, without him it really wouldn't quite be the masterpiece it is. I don't use the term masterpiece lightly either.