Room

Based on a novel by Emma Donoghue, who also wrote the screenplay, Lenny Abrahamson's ‘Room’ is actually a garden shed. There are no windows and the only door has an electronic code on it. This is home to Joy (Brie Larson) and has been home for the ast seven years after the man we know only as Old Nick (Sean Bridgers) abducted her when she was just seventeen.  

There is little back story here so we assume her abductor is just keeping her for sex which he visits her for whenever the fancy takes him. The film isn’t based on any specific incident but clearly there are similarities with several real life abductions. For the last five years ‘Room’ has also been home to Jack (Jacob Tremblay), Joy’s son, a product of her situation and possibly the only thing that keeps her sane.

Their captor holds total power over their lives, if they cross him then they’ll be no electricity, heat or food provided. When he visits Jack has to hide in the wardrobe as Joy repays him for his generosity.

The two of them live by a routine, endless days of cooking, reading, attempting to exercise and watching TV where Jack believes everything he sees is pure fantasy. It's tempting to say he's not far wrong there. Joy has kept Jack from realizing the horror of their situation but as she becomes more desperate to escape and hatches a rescue plan, she has to re-educate him to prepare him for the fact that there’s actually a whole world outside the door.

Joy fakes Jack's death and persuades Nick to bury the alleged corpse. Jack escapes, discovers the outside world, alerts the police and gets them rescued, all at the age of five. This bit is the most improbable of many improbables contained within the script.

Outside things have moved on and a seven year chunk of Joy’s life is missing. Joy's parents have divorced, her school friends have moved on and her promising athletics career is history. While her father (William H. Macy) harshly judges her, her mother (Joan Allen) is supportive but they soon slip into typical Mother-Daughter quarrels and the media almost destroy her.

The concept of the film is a good one but the script is sadly lacking particularly in regards to their highly questionable escape plan and subsequent rescue. The film also focuses more on their adjustment to life outside of their room rather than the imprisonment itself which is perhaps a shame. However 'Room' is saved by some strong performances from Larson and particularly from Tremblay, who is absolutely brilliant especially for someone so young.

The Sessions

‘The Sessions’ is based on the real story of Marc O'Brien (John Hawkes). O'Brien was a childhood victim of polio and has spent his life since encased in an iron lung, save for a few hours each day. He is almost entirely paralyzed from the neck down but retains use of all his senses and has some feeling throughout his body.

Despite this, O'Brien not only retains a sense of humour but has a positive outlook on life. He studies, passes exams and becomes a poet. Although he still remains heavily dependent on his personal carers. 

After firing a carer that he doesn’t like, he falls in love with her far more beautiful and sensitive replacement, Amanda (Annika Marks). 

One day he tells her that he loves her. Which shocks her and she disappears, perhaps realising that she has similar affection for him. Despite his predicament, he can still charm the women.

Frustrated that he will never experience love or sex, he decides at the age of 38 to lose his virginity. First, as he’s a catholic, complete with a picture of the Virgin Mary staring down at him from his wall, he has to clear this with his priest (William H. Macy). Who is a rather ‘right on’ cleric with a flowing mane of hair who believes, probably wrongly, that God may give him a free pass on this one. Perhaps our (supposedly) celibate priest also wondered if there were any 2-for-1 offers.

So enter Cheryl (Helen Hunt), a sexual surrogate. Which is a fascinating profession or maybe not, perhaps it’s just another job but not a prostitute as she makes pains to point out. . 

Her husband seems to know about her job but I find it hard to tell whether he’s bothered or not bothered about her job or simply not bothered about her.

The therapy is a success but in the process Cheryl has also discovered a place in her heart for Mark, so she also bails out before they both get too attached.

After a power cut almost kills him by deactivating his iron lung and Mark ends up in hospital, he gets chance to charm a third woman and he meets Susan (Robin Weigert) who remains his partner until the day he died. 

All his ‘women’ are present at his funeral. Along with Vera (Moon Bloodgood) who is Amanda’s replacement as one of his carers and takes him to all his therapy sessions.

It looks a bit low budget at times and doesn't zing along as it perhaps might, refusing to perhaps delve into any of the potential sub-plots it opens up. Preferring to remain focussed on its main character instead. It’s very good though with plenty of understated humour and never once does it sink into the usual Hollywood sentimentality.