FANTASIA 2020: The Oak Room
fantasia
Cody Calahan's latest directorial effort The Oak Room which is playing as part of the 2020 Fantasia International Film Festival, follows a young man named Steve (RJ Mitte) who returns to his hometown and meets up with his family friend Paul (Peter Outerbridge) in Paul's bar in the middle of a snowstorm. Paul doesn't take too kindly to Steve coming home and wants to make Steve pay for all the trouble he has caused his family and friends but Steve has his own cards up his sleeve involving a story he heard about an event that took place last week at another local bar called The Oak Room. Together alone in the bar, these two characters go back and forth with mind games as truths are revealed and the stakes are raised.
Easily the most impressive part of The Oak Room are its performances. RJ Mitte might have got a good amount of praise from his supporting role in Breaking Bad but sadly has been one of the few actors to not quite find their footing since the show concluded. In The Oak Room, RJ Mitte is able to showcase his acting ability unlike ever before. His character is conniving and sly constantly on the offense despite being seemingly backed into the corner. The audience and other characters struggle to understand if Steve actually has something important to say or if he is bluffing trying to simply survive for longer. The way that RJ Mitte can control a scene is remarkable and can completely recontextualize what you expect from the actor. It also helps that he has such a strong acting partner to play off. Peter Outerbridge also really impresses in the film bringing a grounded aggression that is dynamic against the more charismatic RJ Mitte. In many ways, Peter Outerbridge is the heart of the film meant to bring audiences into the film no matter which character you end up supporting.
The screenplay coming from Peter Genoway is also quite impressive especially considering this is his debut feature as a screenwriter. For a film that for the vast majority of its runtime stays inside a bar with two characters simply talking, the film is wildly engaging and will have audiences on the edge of their seats as cards start to be revealed and the film really picks up. With that said the beginning of the film is a bit slow. The audience is thrown into the conflict between these two characters with very little context of who they are and what they are even mad at each other for. Eventually, things are revealed but for the beginning quarter of the film —where neither character is really listening to the other — it can be a bit of a hard film to fully get into and therefore can feel a bit slow and boring. It also is entirely possible that the ending of the film, where juicy especially due to the performances, can be a bit unrewarding simply due to its vagueness.
If nothing else, The Oak Room is an enthralling drama that will have audiences who can stick through the initial feeling out process hanging on to every line of dialogue in anticipation for when the ball is finally going to drop. RJ Mitte and Peter Outerbridge legitimately give two of the best performances of the year so far, not only playing off each other wonderfully but also standing on their own with their own distinct skills and strengths. For those who have been captivated by strong dialogue before, give The Oak Room a go whenever you get the chance.
