“The Room Next Door,” starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, is director Pedro Almodóvar’s first foray into making English-language films. It follows Ingrid (Julianne Moore) as she discovers that an old friend of hers, Martha (Tilda Swinton), has stage three cervical cancer. Martha hopes that instead of spending her last days suffering through chemotherapy, she will be able to spend the last few moments of her life living to the fullest.
This plot may sound familiar to those who caught A24’s “We Live in Time,” starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. Though, compared to “We Live in Time,” “The Room Next Door” approaches the topics of relationships and death with much more gravitas.
It explores family, the value of art and the ethics of assisted suicide. Swinton plays Martha with such care and authenticity, and with a convincing accent, that it’s sometimes hard to remember she is not even American.
Swinton and Moore play across each other in a way reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman’s “Persona.” Most of the film centers around the conversations they have as they reflect on their lives.
For almost three decades, Pedro Almodóvar has been successfully making films in Spanish. Developing a name for himself as a strong visionary director, Almodóvar exhibits his skill in the films “All About my Mother” and “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.” These works are known for their strong use of primary colors and their off-beat sense of humor and are staples in Almodovar’s work. It suffices to say that “The Room Next Door” — his first English-language film — is a success.
Juxtaposing Francois Truffaut’s 1966 film adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s novel “Fahrenheit 451,” this science fiction film never made a name for itself because of the tumultuous behind-the-scenes events that occurred during its production. Cases like Truffaut — a French director attempting to make a film completely in English — occur when filmmakers attempt to cross language barriers without adequate knowledge of the language.
What makes cinema magnificent is its ability to transcend the verbal language — viewers do not need to know French, Japanese or Urdu in order to tell somebody’s facial expressions. Almodóvar’s ability to visually tell stories — sans language — is the reason why “The Room Next Door” challenges perspectives, compared to trainwreck films like “Fahrenheit 451,” that fails to connect audiences.
The film is not strikingly realistic like most modern audiences may hope. It is big and melodramatic. Strong compositions echoing the work of Edward Hopper populate every scene in the film. The performances are larger than life and the music that underscores scenes are ripe with emotion. The characters only wear strong, bold cashmere sweaters and bright red lipstick. In this way, Almodóvar is pulling influence from the great Hollywood melodramas of the 1950s, which are most associated with Douglas Sirk. Almodóvar’s character design is reminiscent of films like “All that Heaven Allows,” tying this in the classic themes with his usual style.
However, this is not to say that it lacks emotionality because it is extremely affecting. Lines of dialogue reverberate well after leaving the theater. The film is philosophical and paced slowly, but it is never boring. It constantly keeps viewers guessing. At some of its most serious scenes, Martha will crack a joke, because this is what life is actually about.
Verdict: With a great script, great performances and thought-provoking questions, this film is not to be missed. For viewers that have never watched a Pedro Almodóvar film, “The Room Next Door” is a great introduction.
