Review: "Room" is an Emotional Powerhouse Experience

Jacob Tremblay

Every now and then, there comes a child actor performance that features inexplicable weight. There are those like Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon or Natalie Wood in Miracle on 34th Street where the actor, whether unknowingly or not, captures a certain vulnerability that transcends their singular digit age. It is something rare, and for which almost feels like a revelation each time. Joining the class with one of 2015's best performances by anyone of any age is Jacob Tremblay as Jack Newsome - a boy who has grown up exclusively in a shed that he calls "Room" with his mother Joy (Brie Larson). While the duo produce one of the most emotionally arresting performances of the year, director Lenny Abrahamson's Room is itself a fantastic achievement in capturing the complicated natures of parenting, naivety, and experiencing life for yourself. It's a film that is striking with intimacy and vulnerability the likes of which cinema haven't seen in some time.

The "Room" Trailer is Creepy and Perplexing

Left to right: Jacob Tremblay and Brie Larson

Yesterday I wrote about all of the news that came out of the Telluride Film Festival. We received updates, newcomers, and various other potential narratives for the Oscar season ahead. Among the bigger revelations is director Lenny Abrahamson's Room. The film that stars Brie Larson as a mother with her own strange story captured audiences with some even commenting on it being one of her best. As awards season continues to pick up, a trailer has been released for the underdog film that could end up being studio A24's first Oscar contender. From the looks of it, there's at least plenty to admire from the Frank director in terms of atmosphere and tone.

Will John Hawkes Keep the Academy's Love of Disabilities in the Best Actor Race?

John Hawkes

This Friday sees the release of the Sundance breakout hit, director Ben Lewin's The Sessions. Starring John Hawkes as a man in an iron lung, the story follows his journey on a quest to lose his virginity at 36. With the help of a sex therapist (Helen Hunt), the movie sounds like a farce of sorts. With Hawkes acting predominantly with his head attached to a stretcher, is it possible for this film to get some traction at the Oscars, or will it just be a sympathy grab for the disabled protagonist?