"The Room"

French director Christian Volckman's English-language debut, "The Room," is a thriller that explores the concept of what happens when a couple gets everything they wish for. The movie stars Olga Kurylenko and Kevin Janssens as a childless couple who move to a Gothic Victorian mansion in rural Maryland. The couple discovers a hidden chamber in their home that can offer them anything they desire, including a human child. However, as they continue to make requests to the room, they soon realize that playing god comes with unforeseen consequences.

Introduction:

The pleasure of watching protagonists react realistically to an impossible situation is the essence of shows like "The Twilight Zone." The riffs that followed have made us question our deepest desires. However, the same cannot be said for the two leads of Christian Volckman's "The Room," where the couple defies all rational human behavior after discovering the room's power to fulfill their every materialistic desire, including a human child. The movie serves up some potent images and a juicy premise, cautioning against playing god to fill the void.

Synopsis:

Childless couple Kate (Kurylenko) and Matt (Janssens) move to a gothic Victorian mansion in rural Maryland to work on their marriage and fulfill Matt's artistic pursuits. One day, Matt finds a hidden chamber concealed by wallpaper and a steel door. With the help of an electrician, they discover the room has the power to fulfill their every desire. Giddy with the possibilities, Kate and Matt ask the room for piles of cash, elegant clothes, gorgeous food, and champagne. However, portent looms when Kate questions the room's potential, telling Matt, "If it's like a computer, computers get bugs."

As their requests become more significant, Kate asks for a room for a baby. Voila, a flesh-and-blood infant boy appears, much to Matt's horror and insistence that it's not actually a child but "a thing." But Kate is cool with this supernaturally produced boy. The child starts aging rapidly, and mom is unfazed, tumbling into a trancelike stupor, teaching the boy the ABCs and cooking him breakfast like it's NBD. This won't end well.

Analysis:

Despite the hokum and utter insanity of the protagonists, "The Room" gets a lift in its second half, delivering some crazy hairpin twists. The movie's core concept, while intriguing, suffers from a screenplay as delusional as its characters. The actors' performances aren't strong enough to carry the swings in tone. Blame the blunt, expository dialogue that plays as if translated from another language. The characters' stupidity will have you screaming at the screen, with the screenplay at odds with what it wants to be: a domestic drama, a bad-seed horror movie, a science-fiction metaphor, and a morality play. It's messily executed.

One of the film's strongest sequences sees the room transformed into the outside world, propelling Matt into rooms within rooms, bound to encounter his doppelgänger and surely worse. However, things hit a problematic wall with a sexual assault that exists simply to shock you.

Conclusion:

"The Room" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of playing god and getting everything you want. The movie's back end is a sick romp and sometimes thrilling, but enter with care. It's a mixed bag, with the origins of the room never explained, which is half the intrigue but mostly the frustration. The core conceit is enough to make "The Room" a not entirely wasted ride, but upon exit, you'll be left questioning the movie's purpose. No matter how desperate you are to have

You may be left pondering what you would do if you had access to a room that could grant your every wish. Would you resist the temptation, or would you give in to your desires?

Overall, while "The Room" suffers from a flawed script and uneven acting, it offers up an intriguing premise that may leave viewers questioning their own desires and the consequences that come with fulfilling them. Here is a breakdown of the key elements of the film:

The Setup: The film introduces us to Kate and Matt, a childless couple who discover a room in their house that can give them anything they wish for. The setup is reminiscent of classic "Twilight Zone" episodes and offers a tantalizing premise that hooks the viewer in.

The Discovery: Once Kate and Matt realize the power of the room, they begin to indulge in their every desire, from money to clothes to fine food and drink. However, it is when they ask the room for a baby that things take a dark turn, and the film's tension begins to mount.

The Consequences: As the child grows rapidly and uncontrollably, Kate and Matt are forced to confront the dark consequences of their actions. The film serves as a cautionary tale against playing God and indulging in materialism without considering the potential consequences.

The Twists: While the film suffers from a messy script and uneven acting, it does offer up some surprising and thrilling twists in its second half. The room itself transforms into a twisted, labyrinthine space, and the characters are forced to confront their deepest fears and desires.

The Questions: Ultimately, "The Room" raises some intriguing questions about human nature and the consequences of our actions. It may not be a perfect film, but it offers up a compelling premise that will leave viewers thinking long after the credits have rolled.