My Review - "The Room Next Door" by Pedro Almodóvar

The movie "The Room Next Door" by Almodóvar offers a captivating story that captivates the viewer from beginning to end - at least it did for me - by the way, I watched the movie in its original version - but this will not make a difference for the German version. With a phenomenal cast including Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, impressive visuals, and a gripping plot, this movie is an unforgettable cinema experience, which I had.

From Almodóvar's "The Room Next Door," I take away the essence that life is fleeting, fragile, but can also be 'breaking,' full of beauty and connections to things, experiences, and above all to other people.

This movie invites us and everyone to become aware of our own vulnerability and to appreciate the importance of deep human relationships. It also reminds us, at least it does for me, that it is never too late to seek reconciliation and restore connections with old friends or loved ones. It reminds us to appreciate the precious moments in life and to nurture our relationships with others.

Finally, the movie also shows us how important it is to confront the topic of death and accept our own finiteness in order to live more conscious and fulfilling lives.

A brief summary

Almodóvar's "The Room Next Door" addresses, to putting my feelings and perception in one sentence, the vulnerability of life and, parallel to that, the search for human connection.

Tilda Swinton plays Martha, a former war-correspondent who is now terminally ill with cervical cancer and is striving to reconnect with her old friend, Ingrid (Julianne Moore). In the meantime, Ingrid (Julianne Moore) has become a renowned writer. Martha and Ingrid were once colleagues at a trendy New York magazine and briefly shared a lover, Damian (John Turturro), but they haven't seen each other for years - their lives have led them down different paths - which now cross again.
The two women talk a lot about literature, about Faulkner and Hemingway, which is no wonder given their professions, and there is a wealth of literary and film references to current books and movies such as James Joyce's "The Dead" and Roger Lewis' recently published "Erotic Vagrancy."
The film also beautifully shows, this reminds me of my wife and many of my assisted suicides, how thoughtful and carefully considered Martha's decision for this path is - a path, a good path, and in no way an escape. Martha does not know exactly when she will end her own life. She tells Ingrid that she will leave the bedroom door ajar every night. The morning it's closed is the morning she'll be gone.
The film becomes richer and truer, more palpable, gains emotional depth, as Martha and Ingrid reignite their friendship, so that the closed door and the credits left me with a 'good' sadness.
That is often the way with every good story and probably also with every worthwhile relationship, because life is finite, the clock is ticking, and it is always later than we think.

Compassion, not pity - a kind of  'good' sadness

Through the phenomenal (sorry, but I can't think of a more fitting adjective for the two women/actresses), impressive performances of Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, a moving and fascinating story unfolds before the viewers' eyes, drawing the audience into their story, their lives, and their suffering. Almodóvar succeeds in capturing and presenting the fragility of life and the associated emotions in a unique way. This makes the film so touching and allows the audience to deeply immerse themselves in the story and empathize with the characters - and, in my opinion, Pedro Almodóvar, Tilda Swinton, and Julianne Moore manage to walk the fine line between compassion and pity.
"The Room Next Door" will certainly be another milestone, I think, in the impressive careers of Almodóvar, Tilda Swinton, and Julianne Moore, and will surely be long remembered - and so I hope that people will open the door to discuss life, death, and dying as a society, in families and friend circles, and to reflect, to perceive oneself, to reflect on the end of life, on values, meaning, and dignity, one's own dignity.

Trailer:

Final Thought

On the one hand this movie does not depict reality, on the other hand yet it does. In any case, it is not the reality as most people know it. Yes, it is a melodrama, a unique world of exaggerated poetic dialogues, but dialogues that I have experienced with my wife and people I have helped. A great film that showcases multidisciplinary artistic expressions and subtly furious criticism of politics.

Who should watch it?

If asked who should watch this movie, I would say everyone, especially those who engage with the themes of life and death. Anyone who considers the alternatives of life and death, whether it is waiting for a natural death, palliative care, hospice, or dying with self-determination and thoughtfully and with dignity.
Who should watch it? This film will also appeal to those interested in human behavior and relationships. It is recommended for adults and older teenagers due to its mature content and theme.

As I mentioned the age - I think for one or two it will be interesting to read this article "Talking about Death - Talking to Children about Suicide"