The Room Next Door (c) Sony Pictures Classics
Film: The Room Next Door
In Cinemas on December 20
Premise: Ingrid (Julianne Moore), a successful arts writer, is promoting her new book in New York when she finds out a close friend she hasn’t kept in touch with is in the hospital, being treated for cervical cancer. She rushes to see Martha (Tilda Swinton), a former war reporter, who is told that her latest treatment was not successful. After her body has recovered, she is to begin another aggressive regimen, which Martha agrees to. But when she is alone with Ingrid, Martha tells her that she is going to die on her own terms and plans to take her own life soon and wants Ingrid to be in the room next door when she does it so she won’t die alone. Ingrid is shocked by this request, but Martha assures her that she has everything planned out: They will go to her cottage in Woodstock for a restful winter holiday and, one day, she’ll just do it. After many conversations with their mutual ex-lover and radical pessimist Damian (John Turturro) about any legal implications, and with each other, mostly involving contacting Martha’s estranged daughter and after much soul searching, Ingrid agrees.
The Room Next Door (c) Sony Pictures Classics
My Take: Auteur Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar is known for his women-centric films like Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and All About My Mother. The Room Next Door, adapted from the book What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez, is closer in tone to the more serious (and less zany) Julieta, which veers more towards melodrama. Although the film’s theme of euthanasia may put off some, the chance to see two A-list actresses together for the first time dig into Almodóvar world aesthetics is worth it. With composer Alberto Iglesias, Almodóvar’s constant collaborator, has created a melodramatic world in which every hiccup of their plans should also have a darkly comic element to it. But, something is missing here, and I believe it’s because it’s in English. For some reason, Almodóvar’s dialogue feels more authentic with added layers when it’s in Spanish. Swinton is better in capturing the Almodóvar spirit (she worked with the director on the short film The Human Voice) as she always adds an interesting inflection to some of Martha’s more portentous lines, maybe indicating that she’s hiding more from Ingrid. Moore is fine but she mostly plays it straight, even though the actress started her career in soap operas. She does have a fine diversion from the main plot when Ingrid tries to find a personal trainer in the area, and the gym receptionist says correctly, “oh, you’ll like Jonah” (a touch of a sexy wink missing from the rest of the film). Only Turturro feels asea with the tone, although he is always the voice of reason, in a typical Almodóvar male character mansplaining kind of way. The film really finds its tone in the third act, giving Swinton an extra-layer acting challenge and Moore finding a suitable sparring partner with a no-nonsense Alessandro Nivola. It’s not perfect Almodóvar, but it’s always an interesting English-language experiment.
The Room Next Door (c) Sony Pictures Classics
VIP: New York City. Before the women head off to Woodstock, which is also beautifully captured by cinematographer Eduard Grau, Almodóvar essentially gives us a love letter to Manhattan, which I believe is the first time he has ever filmed here. From the gorgeous skylines from Martha’s apartment windows (there’s a reason to keep living, lady) to excursions to Rizzoli’s, East River Park and Alice Tully Hall (where many of Almodóvar’s films premiered as part of the New York Film Festival), he and Grau captured the beauty of the city in a way that reminds me of Gordon Willis’ work in Manhattan. And the fact that it’s New York at Christmas? M’wah.
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