A Book A Week

I was completely enamored with author Emma Donoghue's 2010 novel Room. It was a wildly original story that managed to thrill while still providing an intimate character study. The film adaptation of that novel, from a screenplay written by Donoghue, has already garnered critical acclaim and even been nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards. With such high expectations, I knew that I was in for a treat.

Five-year-old Jack (Jacob Tremblay) has never known of a world beyond the small room he shares with his mother (Brie Larson). The small garden shed that they call home is equipped with the bare necessities: a single bed, toilet, sink, table, wardrobe. A skylight is the family's only view to the outside world. Their only connection to that world is a man they call Old Nick, the man who captured Ma when she was a teenager and fathered Jack.

Ma has done her best to shield Jack from the horrors of their life. She plays games with the boy and never lets Old Nick come into contact with him. But Ma knows that she can't shelter her son forever. This life they share is simply not sustainable. Jack is already asking questions about their situation and she cannot keep him in the dark much longer. There is only one thing left for them to do. After seven years of captivity, they must find a way to escape.

Room is the kind of film that rarely gets made anymore. It is a small, character driven narrative that subtly implants itself into your consciousness. Director Lenny Abrahamson, who directed the under appreciated Frank a couple years ago, deftly gives his actors the space to explore the innermost layers of their characters. Both Larson and the young Tremblay rise to the occasion. Larson in particular gives a nuanced and powerful performance that makes her a safe bet for this years Best Actress Academy Award. This heart-wrenching story about the lengths a parent will go to for the love and safety of their child is a brilliant adaptation of an extraordinary novel and an absolute must see film.