Unlike Pedro Almodóvar’s intense and erratic style that has come to be synonymous with his work, The Room Next Door challenges previous knowledge of the director’s singular style to favor a calmer and more reflective one. Set in New York instead of Almodóvar’s native Spain, though many background characters are indeed Spanish, the film follows the friendship between Martha and Ingrid as they share together Martha’s last moments.
Ingrid, a famous author played by Julian Moore, rekindles her past friendship with Martha. Tilda Swinton portrays Martha, a war correspondent in the last stages of chemotherapy. Without revealing too much of this very unique and unforeseen plot which is not straightforward, as the story progresses so does Ingrid and Martha’s friendship as well as the cancer, leading Martha to involve Ingrid in the relief of her suffering.
Through different angles, such as placing the camera horizontally to film the actors lying next to each other, thus framing their bond, the film emphasizes the power of friendship and sincere love, as simple as it seems, in relieving pain. As with all of Almodóvar’s movies, there is a lot of anxiety present, but in The Room Next Door this stress is mostly internalized, not leading to screaming matches but rather to expressions of feelings, often via quotes by Joyce, a favourite author of Martha’s.
The colour scheme plays an important role in accentuating the anxiety of Ingrid, specifically bright red which symbolizes love but also death. The red door plays an integral role in the plot towards the middle of the movies, but already at the beginning there are subtle hints of red, from Martha’s lipstick to Ingrid clothes. There are more likely deeper meanings than the one provided above, as the colours are definitely a point of reflection during and after viewing the movie.
This film really touched me, and there were a few teary-eyed press members in the room. Tilda Swinton delivers a sincere approach to the topic of death, battling between the identities of a patient in pain and a strong human who wants to enjoy all that life has to offer. Julian Moore is also the element of relatability; she is not over exaggerating any of the emotions, but rather, through the conversation-like script is processing her emotions in regard to Martha’s cues. She represents the grieving friend who is also just a friend. Love is presented in so many different ways in the movie, from Ingrid’s actions to a gym coach’s desire to hug a grieving Ingrid, leaving us to remember that there is still good in the world.
Almodóvar’s also presents almost a meta critique of war through chemo and the ravages of cancer on Martha’s psyche and physical state. The movie sheds a light on how the deadliest disease in the United States and Canada is still misunderstood in terms of how the patients are affected and how society limits them in terms of their options; they are prisoners of their state. A profound quote by Martha is “In this war I am incapable of writing anything”, emphasizing the intensity of this disease even on people that were otherwise strong.
Since I do not feel qualified to judge a movie by a metric and as this metric of grading a movie on 100 is so subjective, I can only urge you to watch The Room Next Door which I believe to be Almodóvar’s best work. It is worth watching, not only for its multifaceted views on war and death, but also through its compelling and unique storyline that explores the often-misunderstood impact of cancer on the patient but also families. The scenes are rich in colour and meaning and the acting is superb, relaying empathy though its relatability in even the most stone-cold hearts.
The Room Next Door is available in theatres as of January 10th, 2025. To appreciate its full beauty, it is best enjoyed in cinemas!
