Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language feature film is stacked with the dream casting of Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, here playing old friends facing a terrible situation. Swinton plays a former war reporter facing terminal cancer, determined to see its end on her own terms. When she reconnects with her old friend (Moore), who is now a successful novelist, she proposes a final getaway to a vacation rental house where she intends to end her life.
Buy The Room Next Door DVDIn recurring Almodóvar fashion, there’s entirely too much needless exposition while setting up the premise in the opening act, but the plot locks in with laser focus once the characters get out of the city and set up in the cabin. Swinton and Moore shine as their characters work on re-establishing a long-dormant friendship before it’s extinguished forever, with Moore especially conveying the wide range of emotions triggered by the impossible situation. It’s truly enthralling to witness this all-too-rare film for grown-ups, one led by two veteran actresses portraying deep vulnerability and compassion as they experience the final moments of a life.
While the story is fairly straightforward and wholly serious, it wouldn’t be Almodóvar without some weirdness, here mostly delivered courtesy of Swinton who re-arrives late in the film playing her character’s daughter. It’s a goofy, distracting stunt that feels completely out of place in this otherwise reverential cinematic requiem. Its audaciousness is approached only by the score by composer Alberto Iglesias, with his soaring orchestral sweep occasionally at odds with the quiet, solemn moments between old friends on screen.
Although it’s essentially a two-hander, John Turturro pops in a couple of times as Moore’s friend and confidant for legal advice on the distressing scenario. He’s mostly wasted in the inconsequential role, but it’s still fun to see him opposite Moore. Also watch for Esther McGregor (Ewan’s daughter) in a brief flashback playing rebellious young Tilda.
Sadly, with the present state of the disc-format media industry, the film is currently only physically available on DVD in the U.S. The creaky old format does a passable job of presenting the film, and as a low-key character study there’s little rational need for top technical specs, but the lack of Blu-ray/4K options still feels like a misstep by Sony. Thankfully, the DVD has a great bonus feature, a refreshingly informal collection of behind-the-scenes footage shot during the film’s production that reveals the artists collaborating on blocking on set to generate the best takes.
