Room (2015)
Film Title: Room (118 min)
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Cast:
Ma/Joy Newsome (Brie Larson) Jack (Jacob Tremblay) Old Nick (Sean Bridgers) Officer Parker (Amanda Brugel) Officer Grabowski (Joe Pingue) Nancy (Joan Allen) Robert (William H. Macy) Leo (Tom McCamus) Dr. Mittal (Cas Anvar) Talk Show Hostess (Wendy Crewson)
About:
A kidnapped mother and son make a daring escape, and experience a dramatic homecoming provoking a look into the power of imagination and the unstoppable force of a mother's love.
Review:
[Plot] I was expecting a large portion of their lives in the Room, like maybe 8:2? Then we can see the core part of the movie is actually not the life in the Room, but the “after-life”. And how Jack save his mother’s life once and again with his pure love and innocence.
[Police Responsibility] The responses of Officer Parker and Officer Grabowski caught my attention as well. Their contrary attitudes towards Jack can lead to Joy’s fate. If they don’t be patient like Parker and dig deep down, Joy would have been locked in the room forever or killed and Jack will be sent to social care center. Therefore being a cop is not only about ending cases and looking for short papers to write, it is the core value of service to people and justice.
[Caring Heart] I was so glad that Jack bump into someone really cares about Jack and suspects Old Nick. In China, the one who helped often being accused of injuring them instead and need to be responsible for the injured’s health costs, so, many Chinese would just leave people die on the road and don’t even care. (Let me make this clear, in Hong Kong, this is definitely not the case and so, please see the difference between China and Hong Kong.) This caring pedestrian’s “extra” help saved them, which this kind of caring help is exactly the reason why Joy is being kidnapped. I wasn’t alert about that before, but when Joy was shouting at her mom Nancy, I realized and this is a brilliant echo.
[Media Influence and Judgement] Media and crowd’s attention towards them made them so uncomfortable and that also “locked” them in the house after escaping from room. We can see how the media is affecting their lives especially when Joy started to take interviews.The judging questions draw her to emotion instability and trying to commit suicide by OD. That question asking Joy wouldn’t it be the best if she give up Jack and ask Old Nick to bring him out and set him free is hitting me right in the middle of my heart. Being a mom, you should do the best for the kid, this is what you should have think of.Â
The way the reporter judge and ask such question reminds me of the 4 consecutive student suicides in the past 5 days in Hong Kong. People keep saying how can they do that, you guys should be grateful for the chance to learn, to eat and to live. Just don’t kill yourself because of the so-called pressure you spoiled kid.Â
You have no idea what kind of pressure or trauma they are dealing with, for the suicide students and Joy. Try to understand or walk in their shoes instead of judging.
[Innocence is a bliss] Jack only had the room and all he wanted is a Sunday present. Contrary to Joy who had the world before, obviously she cannot be satisfied with just a room. It’s like knowledge, when you only knows about the greatness of your country, you will be satisfy with whatever your country does, it has to be good. When you know about other countries are treating their citizens so much better, you will want your country to improve, to be like others. (I know and I think YOU know what countries I am talking about.)
When the bar is setting high, you can never get down anymore.
[Emotion] We can see different characters are having different position responsibility break-down due to their emotions. For Jack, he shouted so loud when Joy told her about TV and the real world because in his mind set, none of them are real. For Joy, she is emotionally broken-down for a few times. The times she cannot stay strong and think for Jack’s best and the time she rejected therapy for Jack are the moments she destroying a mom’s stereotypical responsibilities. For Robert, it is assumed that a father should be there to accept and care about the daughter  and grandson. However, his reluctance to look Jack in the eye obviously breaks his assumed best behavior as a grandfather taking care of traumatic kids.
When things don’t go the way you rationally assumed, your mind will become scrambled eggs and you could not do what is assumed the best.