Review: Room

First things first, I should state that I was ridiculously hyped for this film. Ridiculously hyped. As in, so hyped that even if it had so much as one line of dodgy dialogue, I was going to be upset and probably lose my faith in the film industry and potentially give up on my dreams. Seeing as I am still currently a film student and left the film with a renewed faith in the Irish film industry and in filmmaking in general, I guess you could say it was very, very good.

I'm attempting to not gush about how amazing Room was, but it was the first film that I have watched in a long time that I could not find a single fault in. The directing was great, the writing was great, the cinematography was great, everything was great. The actors in particular were absolutely brilliant, Brie Larson truly excels in the role of Ma and Jacob Tremblay was so convincing as Jack that I'm honestly confused and slightly angry that he was not given a nod for Best Actor in the Academy Awards. Both of their performances were absolutely heart-wrenching and their relationship was completely believable. There are so many moments within the film that will make you tear up and it completely boils down to the talent of the two leads.

Besides being completely heartbreaking, the technical aspects of Room are also great. The cinematography, production design, soundtrack and writing are all perfect. Emma O'Donoghue, the original author, penned the script and she proves that she truly deserves her Oscar nomination. Probably only noticeable by people who have also read the book, she completely strips down the story and somehow manages to make it better. The changes she made ensure that the impact of the film is even harder than that of the book's. The short periods of narration from Jack are also a brilliant touch. Ranging from funny to upsetting, they allowed us to see a very dark and upsetting story from a completely different and innocent point of view.

5/5

*Bonus points for the score. I may or may not be still listening to it as I type.