Room

January reviews are often full of Oscar buzz and early-year hype and those for Room have been no less complimentary thus far.

Based on Emma Donoghue's bestseller (which I must confess at this point I have not read) this is a film tarnished slightly by the fact that the 'spoiler' is well known.

A drama tonally similar to the fantastic Gone Girl, this is one which will become widely-seen and admired but isn't quite up there with David Fincher's film.

The pace here is pretty sedate throughout; we start in 'Room' where Brie Larson's Joy and son Jack live their day-to-day lives. Things are surreal as we see this world through the eyes of the fantastic Jacob Trembley (there aren't many child performances better or more involving than this one).

There are obvious, other factors at work here and these are brilliantly teased by Oscar-nominated Larson before all being unravelled in one tear-jerking story scene. There's a certain inevitably to this unveil but the solution to their issues is played out in a fantastically tense middle-section which ends all too abruptly. Telling the story through Jack detracts here as this could have been an extended sequence (I won't give anymore away at this stage.)

The second half then drags a little; things seem a little rosy a little too quickly and, although the performances are fantastic and the dynamic between the characters enthralling, it would benefit more from getting a glimpse beyond the family scenario (again, this is something you'll understand after seeing it.)

A worthy film with great performances, real world parallels, drama and charm let down in part by pacing and the angle at which things are approached.

4 stars ****