Continuing the Oscar Run: "Room" is Brilliant, "Spotlight" is Pretty Dang Good

  In my quest to see all of the Best Picture Nominees before this weekend's Oscars ceremony, I finally got around to seeing "Room". If you haven't seen or heard of this movie, I wouldn't blame you. It's a low-budget, indy film that happened to make it's way into the Oscar conversation late last year, and for good reason. Though my pick for Best Picture still sits with "The Revenant", "Room" is definately worth the consideration. It's a brilliantly acted film. I mean BRILLIANT. Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay knock it out of the park with their performances. Larson is nominated for Best Actress and is my front-runner to win. Jacob Tremblay is a child actor who gives one of the most realistic and amazing performances from a child actor I've ever seen. Kudos to director Lenny Abrahamson for being able to get such pround performances from his lead actors.

   "Room" is the harrowing tale of a mother Joy (Larson) and her five-year-old son Jack (Tremblay), as they strive to survive the confines of their imprisonment in a small shed. When they escape from the enclosed surroundings that Jack has known his entire life, the boy makes a thrilling discovery: the outside world. It's a heart-wrenching tale that is enveloped with a message of hope and the power of love. As viewers we get to see this experience through the eyes of young Jack who narrates this movie. In fact, Jack is in more of the movie than Joy is, and to be able to hold the attention of an audience based on your solo performance makes Tremblay's performance all the more memorable.

   The movie is disturbing. Know that going in. The first half is heart-pumping and the second half is heart-wrenching. It's beautifully written and masterfully executed. Jack's narrations are simply brilliant. I know I've used that word like a hundred times already but I don't care. It's true. They capture the most realistic depiction of a child's mentality and imagination as ever portrayed on screen, at least in my book. The wonder and scope of Jack's discoveries as he begins to experience the world contrasted with the phsychological strain that his mother endures from being captive for so long, is so entertaining to watch. If you're a fan of film, "Room" is a great example of high-class acting, great writing, and wonderful direction all packed into one. If you havn't seen it yet, plan on doing so. It's playing in limited theaters, but should be available for home viewing soon. It's worth checking out. Just makes sure to bring your tissue.

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   Continuing on my Oscars quest, "Spotlight" was another Best Picture nominee that I finally got around to seeing. Being hailed as a front-runner to win, I thought it was good, but not "winner" good. "Spotlight" tells the true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core. It's a disturbing story in our history, and the movie plays out more like an elongated documentary on great journalsim. This due to the lack of romantic subplots, or real character development, or any other sub-storytelling devices. Other than the few short scenes when the team is working from home, you really don't get a feel for who the characters are other than they're journalists. That doesn't mean the acting wasn't great, because it was.

   The movie was pretty good, don't get me wrong. As the events unfold, you as an audience member become as progressively appalled by what is being uncovered along with the team that is uncovering it. In most movies, especially good ones, characters drive the story. In the case of "Spotlight" the story drives the story. Meaning, you end up caring more about the plot and how everything goes down than for the priciple characters of the story. Yet, the movie still works as an intriguing piece.

   The premise of the story is uncomfortable to say the least, and the movie does a great job portraying that tone as the investigations unfold. In a nutshell, "Spotlight" is acted well. Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Brian d'Arcy James, and Mark Ruffalo all give great performances. McAdams and Ruffalo are nominated for supporting acting. The movie is written well, directed well, and, as I mentioned earlier, a front-runner to win. I really liked the movie, but I don't think it'll win. But alas! That shouldn't detour you from seeing it. It's one of the best films of 2015 and it's worth the viewing.