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October 27, 2024Pedro Almodóvar is a master filmmaker whose works span multiple decades and include a range of poignant stories about women. Though his two most recent short films, The Human Voice and Strange Way of Life, have been in English, The Room Next Door marks his English-language feature debut. What fans of the auteur will find is a film that bears the same striking dialogue and character creation, mixed with just the right amount of melodramatic music and touches of humor to ensure that even the most serious subject will still prove to be an entertaining experience.
Ingrid (Julianne Moore) is a successful author signing copies of her latest book, which details her fear of death. A run-in at the signing clues her in to the fact that Martha (Tilda Swinton), who used to be a close friend, has cancer and is in the hospital as her condition worsens. A simple visit to check in on her results in the reigniting of their close relationship, which in turn prompts Martha to ask something important of Ingrid: to be with her when she chooses to end her life with a euthanasia pill she has procured online. While Ingrid is initially quite turned off by the idea, the knowledge of Martha’s suicidal intentions and the desire to be there for her convince her to join for an extended trip upstate guaranteed to end in her friend’s death.
There’s definitely something very amusing about how starkly and directly Martha speaks, startlingly Ingrid with her proposal, which she casually makes shortly before the two of them are about to see a movie. That has a great deal to do with Swinton’s formidable delivery, and her reunion with Almodóvar following The Human Voice gives her something very different to do. Martha knows what she’s been through and what she might have to endure, and she’s made a decision about what she wants from the rest of her life. Swinton has a unique way of speaking and of communicating tone, and she’s masterfully cast in the role, ensuring that Martha is unforgettable even after she’s gone.
Though her character is much physically healthier, Ingrid is considerably more vulnerable, in part because she doesn’t have control over the situation and because she doesn’t want her friend to die. It’s fascinating to watch Moore navigate Ingrid’s worry and portray someone who wants desperately to be supportive and only to push as much as she knows will be tolerated rather than get her banished from her friend’s final moments. She brings a warmth of spirit to Ingrid and her most effective moments find Ingrid and Martha talking about the past and the things they’ve shared rather than the very real present.
As in his other films, Almodóvar employs colorful flashbacks to the past to the fill in the mysterious gaps characters are exploring, but those are kept brief in favor of this remaining largely a two-hander with these two top-tier actresses. In smaller roles, John Turturro and Alessandro Nivola are also memorable as a friend and foe, respectively, with the former given more material that could push him into the Oscar race. Working in English rather than Spanish isn’t a demerit for Almodóvar since he delivers a reliably well-written script, based on the novel What Are You Going Through
by Sigrid Nunez, and chooses the right women – and men – to fill his latest only slightly larger-than-life tale.
Thematically, The Room Next Door encircles death but never fully sits with it, discussing how the father of Martha’s daughter died a tragic death years earlier and how she later worked as a war correspondent. It’s precisely in the space of discomfort and uncertainty with answers that this film exists, offering audiences only the perspectives of its protagonists, one who fears dying and the other who is ready to embrace and hasten it. In addition to captivating performances, a vivid score, and sharp writing, this film presents an open-ended critique of the way we all live our lives and, in some cases, choose to end them.
Movie Rating: 8/10
Awards Buzz: This is likely to be a solid Oscar contender, potentially bringing Almodóvar back to the Best Director race for the second time. Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, and a Best Actress bid for Swinton seem likely too, as does a mention – or at least a shortlist placement – for composer Alberto Iglesias.