And so it continues - another two excellent films that are in Oscar contention released this week.



Room
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Length: 118 mins

© Village Roadshow

A mother (Brie Larson) and her five-year old son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) live in a tiny two-room space, for reasons that become apparent as the film progresses. Despite their lives being anything but normal, Ma tries her best to give Jack a fulfilling and rich childhood, defined above all by her incredibly close bond with him. When the possibility of discovering "World", the larger life outside of "Room" arises, so does the chance to change their lives forever. 
If this sounds obscure it's meant to - the less you know about this brilliant film the better. It is rich with tension, emotion, and a gripping thought-provoking plot that will blow you away, as will the acting from young Tremblay and Academy Award-nominated Larson. As a testament to human adaptability, maternal love, and the wonder of childhood, this is a winner! 

Absolutely unmissable!

For a full review from Bernard Hemingway:

http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=5915


Spotlight
Director: Tom McCarthy
Length: 128 mins

© Image.net Getty Images

Boston 2001: four investigative journalists are charged to delve into the abuse of children by priests. Their tireless and incisive research reveals that this is not a case of a few individual priests being guilty, but an almost systemic problem that appears to be known of and covered up by the higher echelons of the Catholic Church. There's an old-fashioned solid sensibility to this film - less sensationalism, but more a revealing depiction of what it means for a newspaper team to unearth the evidence to blow a case wide open. With emphasis more on the research than on the victims or the perpetrators, the film is more cerebral than emotional. The script is tight and the lead actors, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Brian D'Arcy James, Stanley Tucci and Liev Schreiber are all spot on.

Totally worth seeing!

For a full review from Chris Thompson:

http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=5958