Room - A-

Rated R, 113 minutes

Sometimes small boxes hold beautiful things, which is the premise of the superbly acted, engrossing new drama "Room," based on Emma Donoghue's affecting best-selling novel of the same name. The Irish-Canadian film, directed by "Frank's" Larry Abrahamson and adapted by Donoghue herself, is a fictional but remarkable story of the bond between mother and child but also learning to adapt and re-adapt to a new world. Held captive for years in an enclosed space they euphemistically called "Room," a woman ("Trainwreck's" Brie Larson) and her 5-year-old son (newcomer Jacob Tremblay) finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time. The claustrophobic, intense first act of "Room" is essentially a two-person play, kept within the confines of room, with the next chapters dealing with Ma and Jack's freedom and adjusting to their new surroundings. "Room" will be best remembered for two things: the touching story, and the superb, moving performances from Larson and Tremblay, whose plausible chemistry, especially in the first part of the movie, highlight what could've been a downbeat film. Newcomer and 8-year old Tremblay, seen with long, girlish hair for much of the film, is especially touching in a remarkable, breakout turn as the boy who literally saves his mother's life not once, but twice, when Ma has a mental breakdown later in the film. He has the film's most engrossing turnaround as he adjusts to his new life along a few of the film's most memorable sequences, including the harrowing escape from room, as well as the poignant final scene, in which he finally says goodbye to room. Larson is also quite strong as the mother who wants the best for her son, and in spite of her own flaws, will always have a bond with her son; also good is Oscar-nominee Joan Allen (who we haven't seen in a solid big screen role in a few years) as Joy/Ma's mother, who is charged with Joy and Jack's care following their ordeal. With focused direction from Abrahamson, "Room" is one of the year's most powerful, superbly acted films, and put this one on your must-see list. I wouldn't be surprised if Larson, Tremblay along with Donoghue's strong script all receive accolades in the near future.