My Review-
The Room Next Door
My Rating 5/10
How disappointed I was that a team of my favourite big cinema names Pedro Almodovar, Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore could make a movie that irritated me from the first scene till the bizarre final scene..
I found the script and direction by famous Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar contrived , cliched and mawkish even his trademark colour popping sets didn't impress me this time .
Described as a 2024 Spanish drama , which it's certainly not The Room Next Door or in Spanish La habitación de al lado written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar is his English-language full-length debut, based on the novel What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez.
Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore play two good friends Martha a former war correspondent and Ingrid a successful novelist who after years of being out of touch meet again when a friend informs Ingrid that their mutual friend Martha played by Tilda Swinton is undergoing cancer treatment in a New York hospital.
No spoilers I'll just say how grateful I am that in the country I live that assisted dying for the critically ill has been legalised when the patient meets the right qualifications.
Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore give impressive performances however at times I thought they seemed artificial as if they were playing off each other in a very average tennis match or maybe a race for an Oscar which I doubt will eventuate.
I didn't really empathise or like either of their characters perhaps Almodovar's English debut gets lost in translation?
For this movie buff there are many unconvincing scenes in The Room Next Door especially when Tilda Swinton in real life now aged 64 appears as Michelle the daughter of Martha .
Any amount of clever make up , change of voice tone and change of hairstyle for me just didn't work.
Perhaps the plot was a little close to home for me as some of my dear friends have passed away recently but I think The Room Next Door is just not a good movie despite the wonderful cast.
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