Sandy Kenyon says 'Room' comes close to greatness

NEW YORK (WABC) -- "Room" was a best-selling novel about the a little boy and his mother, whose lives were confined to a single room. Now, the book has been adapted into a story for the big screen.

The two stars -- one a child -- play their roles with such total conviction that even though the film stops just short of greatness, it is a must-see for the acting.

The mother and son are held captive in a single room, by the girl's birth father. The boy was born in captivity, and the story is told from his point of view.

We see how his mother has made their drab prison a tolerable space by bringing magic to the simplest of objects.

It's easy to believe Jason Tremblay and Brie Larson are real people, because they are not well known. But the most credit for their miraculous work goes to the talent and kill of the director, Lenny Abrahamson.

There is not a single false note between the characters in the entire film, and just as life in their "room" is becoming intolerable, they are thrust out into the world.

It's a world the boy has never known, and that's when the film falters.

Too much is left unexplained, but despite that, the film is worth seeing for the unforgettable performances.