Read Mixed User Reviews for Room (2015)

6

MattBrady99Feb 27, 2016

Ma: "You're gonna love it".

Jack: "What?". Ma: "The world". Room tells the story of a relationship between a mother and son, as she raises him while confined to a 10x10 room and what happens when they finally get out. Since theMa: "You're gonna love it".

Jack: "What?".

Ma: "The world".

Room tells the story of a relationship between a mother and son, as she raises him while confined to a 10x10 room and what happens when they finally get out.

Since the 2016 Oscars are on Sunday and I've been lacking quite a bit on seeing as many Oscar contenders from last year. Room was one of those movies, as I've heard nothing but great things about it and how truly unique it is (from what I heard). It was a real shame that I had to wait for a while to get a chance to watch this movie, because it's been a very slow month over here in jolly good England. But after finally seeing the movie after that long wait, I can say that the movie was pretty underwhelming, and that's really disappointing saying that.

Brie Larson has been sweeping the award season this year, by taking home: The BAFTA, Golden Globe, Critics Choice award and the SAG award, and it's very deserving. Brie Larson delivered a tremendous performance and she was without a doubt the best part of this movie. I'm so happy that Larson is finally getting noticed since everyone pretty much forgot about "Short Term 12" and her performance in that film that got very unnoticed. Larson shows off her acting skills in this movie and I know for a fact that she will receive an Oscar on Sunday night. She was truly brilliant in this movie and one of her best performance so far.

Lenny Abrahamson (director of the movie) brought us the 2014 film "Frank", which I really liked and I couldn't wait to see want he will bring to this movie, and what he brought was somewhat of a mix bag for me. I'm happy for him to get an Oscar nomination, but I didn't find anything that special or groundbreaking when it came to it's directing. Most of it is just copy and past from the book that this movie is based on, so Abrahamson can look on what he's doing. I didn't read the book (and never will) but I've heard a lot of people who did read the book say that the book is better than the movie, and even the author herself said the same thing. The directing isn't anything Oscar worthy, but it's decent directing at best for Abrahamson.

The first act of this movie was very strong and it did kept my interest. That's the biggest positive I had for this movie is it's first act.

Jacob Tremblay is an unknown star to me and for everyone else, so this is basically he's break out role. I did look up on what Tremblay has been in before and I found out he was in "The Smurfs 2" which wasn't that good. But all that aside, I thought he's performance was alright, nothing outstanding, but nothing terrible. He's better than most kids I've seen in recent movies, but I also have seen better ones as well.

Now for the problems: The second act wasn't as strong as the first act. The movie did lose me a couple of times as I became disinterest as it went along.

The movie did feel like a sugar-coated version of the book and as I said before I haven't even read the book, but for what I heard from other people, the book is more graphic and dark than the movie. I get this question asked a lot when I say the movie sugar-coated from the book, "Would you rather have graphic scenes of rape from the book", well if that's what the book is suppose to be, then yeah, and it's not because I want to see someone get raped, but if you what me to give a crap about the characters and their struggle to see how their suffered, then the film makers shouldn't have sugar-coated it. I feel like if this movie was handled by a different director, it would have been a much better movie. The movie is basically telling you that there's violence and rape that happened, but there's nothing really graphic about it. The movie tells you to care about things that it never bothers developing and if you are going to make a movie on a subject like that, and pretend that this horrible thing that happened, again, you shouldn't sugar-coat it. Take "12 Years a Slave" as an example: That movie was graphic, brutal, honest and that's what made it an amazing movie, because it took a real life story like slavery that's suppose to make you feel for the character's and makes you look at what their been through and say to yourself "Wow, that was truly awful". Now look at Room, we have a single character and the movie is telling you to feel bad for her and what shes been through, but it didn't show any of it, and it's not like it has to be graphic for the sake of it, but it didn't even try to develop it.

Overall Room was very overwhelming and kind of bland. I know a lot of people are going to get mad at me for not loving this movie as they do, but that's just my opinion.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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6

oDjentoFeb 4, 2016

Room was based on a book that was always going to be up for an Oscar if adapted to screen, but the film didn’t fully hold my attention all the way. The most intriguing and haunting part of the film is the first act within the room. It reallyRoom was based on a book that was always going to be up for an Oscar if adapted to screen, but the film didn’t fully hold my attention all the way. The most intriguing and haunting part of the film is the first act within the room. It really nicely builds up the characters and explains their situation nicely along with how they feel about it.
The film is kind of narrated by the distorted view of Jack (who I sweaaaar was a girl) and it is interesting to see how he views things, despite his rather irritating but annoyingly understandable tantrums – I couldn’t emapthise with them because I can’t see it from his point of view but I totally understood why he had them which messed me up a little.
The film is flowing nicely whist in this room and is shot claustrophobically but also in a way that makes the room seem larger than it is (possibly to adumbrate the girls view of the room whilst only having been living in it alone) and this is a unique directing technique. I applaud this first half. However, as soon as the second half rolls onto the screen it loses its touch and becomes a unwarrantedly at times pessimistic story that has predictable story elements and characters that lose focus. The traumas of the outside world feel vapid and flat compared to the ones of the room, and therefore the film loses its focus.
Nevertheless Brie Larson brings a good performance but not as deserving of an Oscar as other nominees, she basically knows when to cry, when to shout and when to be nice and despite doing these well lacks any sort of originality to her role especially in this original kind of script. This does not mean she is bad, just possibly a little over praised that’s all, I did enjoy her role.
The child is does a great job especially considering he is a child actor.
A unique and for the first half emotionally exhausting film, but saunters and permeates too much in the second and thereby loses focus. Not as strong as his previous film.
6.5/10
P.S. I would’ve really liked a Tommy Wiseau cameo or “The Room” mention in the film. Not appropriate? Probably not bearing in mind the subject matter of the film but still, would’ve made my day.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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4

csw12Dec 17, 2015

The movie is simply a bore. The first 30 minutes are dreadful and while Larson gives a steady performance, the child is annoying. Room has pockets of decent film making but you will probably need a cup or coffee to last the two hours.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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5

hotfromcauldronOct 25, 2015

A five year old boy learns "if you can’t go back to the womb you better be a good fighter ".
A woman questions her motherhood - between her selfishness and selflessness.
Yet with these two interesting character arcs and an unusual premiseA five year old boy learns "if you can’t go back to the womb you better be a good fighter ".
A woman questions her motherhood - between her selfishness and selflessness.
Yet with these two interesting character arcs and an unusual premise there is “Room” to grow in this adequate film. The problem lies in the fact we are let into their world the moment they try to escape it .
And cheated of the most critical decisions by the victim and the most crucial years of growth for the boy.
There is no exploration of nature vs. nurture or maybe even attachment parenting. And so we are left with one must assimililate back into society as say a newly released prisoner or soldier from deployment - the other must be reborn like “Charly” with neither story totally satisfying - held together by two great performances.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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6

JamesLJan 30, 2016

Another film that did not deserve a nomination. I will give them credit for trying to tackle this from the emotional /psychological angle instead of a simple crime drama. However, they broke no new ground and barely dented those issues in theAnother film that did not deserve a nomination. I will give them credit for trying to tackle this from the emotional /psychological angle instead of a simple crime drama. However, they broke no new ground and barely dented those issues in the second half. To be fair, it would take more than two hours to tackle the scope of what I think was intended. Instead of an Oscar quality film, you got a cable quality film.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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6

WiscoJoeNov 23, 2015

If Pixar made a Lifetime 'woman in peril' movie of the week, this would be the result. Despite strong performances and screenplay that faithfully adapts the source novel, this movie serves as an example of how difficult it is to translateIf Pixar made a Lifetime 'woman in peril' movie of the week, this would be the result. Despite strong performances and screenplay that faithfully adapts the source novel, this movie serves as an example of how difficult it is to translate first-person narration to the big screen. Having the entire movie seen through the eyes of a five-year-old character that is incapable of understanding the wider world, let alone the trauma that is surrounding him, starts out as a neat conceit, but ultimately drains the movie of tension, catharsis, or any sort of insight beyond general platitudes about motherhood, survival, and the nature of existence.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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5

sqrivenerJan 6, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The first half of the movie builds nicely, taking its time to give the audience answers to the growing mountain of questions, but this movie ultimately lets its cast down. Just when the movie seemed like it should be reaching a climax of sorts at the halfway point, I felt totally let down and manipulated as if the script had pulled a sort of dramatic bait and switch: a 5 year old boy who has never encountered a single thing beyond the confines of his 10 by 10 world and has only recently been made aware of the differences between "Room", television, and the rest of reality is in no way remotely prepared to do what he did with as much composure as he did. The whole second half of the movie was a complete farce.

Instead of deeply damaged victims with complex issues, mom and son are replaced by mildly troubled doppelgangers who just need to learn how to establish a few personal boundaries. Perhaps it works best as a book, but the movie had no real conflict or motivation in the second half, just a smattering of "issues" which all seemed neatly isolated from each other and tended to resolve themselves, each in turn, in the most banal ways. It's supposed to seem natural, but ask people to describe the plot in the second half of the movie a month after they've watched Room, and be prepared for a vague struggle to frame any sort of meaning to it. Even the surge of suspense that was resuscitated when they returned to "Room" quickly evaporated as it became clear that nothing was left behind, physically and psychologically. What a let down.

This movie just whimpers out, offering nothing but a lifeless collection of semi-dysfunctional family dynamics to serve as juxtaposition to the stark and compelling world of "Room" as described to us by the mind of a naïve, innocent five year old captive. We should have stayed in the mind of that boy and we should have been terrified and afraid for the destruction of everything he came to know and understand. Instead, he sniffled a bit about missing Room, got toys and his own bed and a friend, etc. and was all better. The End.

What a waste of the first half of a good movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

PrashunFeb 5, 2016

There it is the first movie of the award season which I did not think much of. Don't get me wrong it's a decent but thoroughly average film. The movie starts out promisingly and does a couple of things right, makes no mistakes but doesThere it is the first movie of the award season which I did not think much of. Don't get me wrong it's a decent but thoroughly average film. The movie starts out promisingly and does a couple of things right, makes no mistakes but does nothing special or extraordinary with the situation. I gave the movie the benefit of the doubt and was hoping the psychological aspects of the film would step up in the second half but it didn't do so, the second half completely changes the situation for worse, there are new problems to deal with and the movie goes about them in it's usual half committed way which was prevalent in first half. The acting is definitely the strong suit of the film, Brie Larson is amazing and I would be ok with her winning the Oscar, though I didn't think much of the film I thought she was great. The kid played by Jacob Tremblay showed amazing depth and variety for a young child. The weakness of the film is direction, it does not capitalizes on it's setting, it has no great scenes and does not visually grab you at anytime (I am not reading a book I am watching a movie), also sometimes Brie Larson's character is quite inconsistent and unrealistic sometimes, she shows very few signs of PTSD, it sometimes feels she was trapped in Room for weeks not seven years, not her fault though, another misstep by the director, along with not capitalizing that Jack maybe better off without Joy (it touches so less on the REAL issues it's infuriating).… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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6

CalibMcBoltsMay 30, 2016

'Room'' might very well be one of 2015's best movies, however I seem to be in a minority of not liking it 100%. ''Room'' is a very special movie, a one of its kind really, the story was original, the acting was one of the years very best, but'Room'' might very well be one of 2015's best movies, however I seem to be in a minority of not liking it 100%. ''Room'' is a very special movie, a one of its kind really, the story was original, the acting was one of the years very best, but it missed a dramatic flair and some scenes dragged on for too long and a noticeable off balanced structure of acts.
Room may be an annoying film for some (including me for some parts) thanks to its impressive and original initial premise and frustrating because of all the missed opportunities.
However the chemistry and love/hate relationship between ''Ma'' and Jack is impeccable and a feast to look at.

Room has great potential, but soon in the movie it decides to leave behind all the possibilities/potential for a more solid and overwhelming drama, which is good but could've been great.

Overall ''Room'' is a very good film, but not flawless and ''the best in years'' like many people are claiming it to be.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

meydianarizkiJan 8, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Loved and enjoyed the storyline... It's not everyday you find a movie so close to reality and of topics many shudder to mention
It's really a shame this could be the future many await as kidnapping young woman and holding them captive is very much a reality uptil now The emotions and behaviors that were portrayed is not what we expect out of movies but is very much a reality Jack's role was magnificent, who would've ever thought a child can play a role so very well and I can very well say Trembley will definitely be a role model to future child actors... He has my vote for the future
Although I did feel it gave itself a look of a ducmentary more than a movie, although it was a happy ending but Old Nick was one character they never showed much about... Was he married, where did he vanish to, do they ever find him again and why did he kidnap Joy only... A lot of stuff which we cannot really find the reason to and a sneak peak of how Joy was actually captured would've made this movie a 5 stars It's a lively and heart touching story nonetheless and deserves recognition so it's still worth an award from my end… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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5

meydianarizki21Nov 10, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Loved and enjoyed the storyline... It's not everyday you find a movie so close to reality and of topics many shudder to mention
It's really a shame this could be the future many await as kidnapping young woman and holding them captive is very much a reality uptil now The emotions and behaviors that were portrayed is not what we expect out of movies but is very much a reality Jack's role was magnificent, who would've ever thought a child can play a role so very well and I can very well say Trembley will definitely be a role model to future child actors... He has my vote for the future
Although I did feel it gave itself a look of a ducmentary more than a movie, although it was a happy ending but Old Nick was one character they never showed much about... Was he married, where did he vanish to, do they ever find him again and why did he kidnap Joy only... A lot of stuff which we cannot really find the reason to and a sneak peak of how Joy was actually captured would've made this movie a 5 stars It's a lively and heart touching story nonetheless and deserves recognition so it's still worth an award from my end.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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4

MglovesfunMay 3, 2020

I always find it hard to score a well-made movie that isn't meant to be entertaining. If you enjoyed this movie, sorry, you're not supposed to. 4's a little generous, perhaps, as I did quite like the ending which was positive compared to whatI always find it hard to score a well-made movie that isn't meant to be entertaining. If you enjoyed this movie, sorry, you're not supposed to. 4's a little generous, perhaps, as I did quite like the ending which was positive compared to what came before it.

Due credit to Brie Larson and, in particular, Jacob Tremblay, who was the stand-out performer despite Larson's Oscar win.… Expand

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