The Room Next Door
Introduction
The Room Next Door by Pedro Almodovar is essentially about contrasting entities. From the characters to their ideologies and to the setting, the drama is filled with contrasting imperfections that eventually shape the film. It is very early on in the film that you are introduced to the two characters. Ingrid (Julianne Moore) is a fictional novelist dressed in an attire that is dark and layered. Martha (Tilda Swinton) is an ex-war reporter suffering from cancer who now finds herself in a hospital bed with an interior that is laced with pastel shades that often has a contrasting mood to the actual situation of Martha. Yet when the two of them meet, the drama begins as a passage of nostalgia before digging further deeper with the contrasting imperfections – life and death.
Story & Screenplay
The premise of The Room Next Door is simple – Ingrid and Martha meet after many years after being close friends in their youth and having shared the love of a man at some point of time. But as things stand, Martha is diagnosed with cancer and she requests Ingrid to be by her side when she takes the final step of ‘Euthanasia’. It is very early on in the film that there is a sweet little moment that is created between the duo when they share conversations while taking a trip down memory lane. Amidst these conversations, you notice the tales of Martha from the incidents that shaped her present – Martha did not have the most cordial relationship with her daughter given her her failure to convince her about the identity and death of her father. Martha’s husband, an ex-war veteran suffering from trauma post the war who did fall for her, before making her pregnant only to leave her for another woman, and eventually dying. The second one was from her chronicles in Iraq featuring a gay encounter amidst the ongoing war that she was witness to. The thread that connected both tales was that of sorrow and death, something that was reflective in the psyche of Martha. But it is death that Martha wanted while not wishing to suffer at the hands of cancer
Ingrid, on the other hand seemed to be perturbed with the idea of death herself. She had written a book while being petrified about death, which was a stark contrast to that of Martha that wished to opt for one. One of the reasons why Martha approached Ingrid to be by her side whilst she decided to opt for Euthanasia herself (which is against the law), was because you would want someone close to you to spend your last days with, and Ingrid is all she had having had a strained relation with her daughter and being turned down by two of her other friends. And so in the contrasting move, when the setting of the drama shifts to a lodge amidst the presence of nature, it definitely defies the preconditioned notion about life and death, both realities that did go hand in hand. For Martha, the closed walls of the hospital in an urban jungle was death itself having wanting to atleast “breathe” in her final days. For Ingrid, her comfort zone was the city and in having to accompany Martha in her final days to a lodge by the countryside was a reason to be petrified.
The transition of the drama from the second act to the third and final act is more of a horror for both Ingrid and the viewers. It is not ‘Horror’ in the purest form but more on the lines of unpredictability with respect to the immediate future, even as you did know where the drama is headed. There is a beautiful yet contrasting philosophies of life explored through a few other characters. For instance, Ingrid does share her trauma with her gym trainer who patiently hears her out before exclaiming that he would have hugged her if it wasn’t for their new policy of not touching their clients (a symbol of pure love denied). Another instance being Damian, the man being a common love interest for both Martha and Ingrid at a certain point, being pessimistic about the weather changes and how the world would end with it. Yet when it does snow, the pink snowflakes evoke a sense of life for both Ingrid and Martha at two separate instances. Conflicting imperfections, you see! Having said that, the grand finale was slightly unexpected given that you don’t get to see the deed, and even though it is manipulative on the part of Martha, it is also a reminder on how unpredictable life actually is. The screenplay is like a gentle lullaby that hits most notes rather well in this subtly searing drama about life, death and their contrasting imperfections.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but supremely profound in the wake of the theme of the drama. The music and BGM gently enhance the impact of the various scenes in the drama through their subtly lingering notes that stay with you after the film has ended. The cinematography coupled with the lighting present contrasting images of life and death through imageries that are a contrast of what they stand for. The hospital and the lodge for instance are on opposite sides of the spectrum, both being symbolic of life and death but used in the opposite context with Martha. Likewise, for the climate changes that paint a contrasting picture too. The editing is crisp and sharp while allowing the drama to flow by the tide of time. Director Pedro Almadovar in his first English language film definitely does a magnificent job here in constructing a contrasting drama that is understated with its tone. As a result, the drama never feels heavy while having the ability to linger on gently in your subconscious and leaving you with pondering after-effects. The direction is spectacular here.
Performances
The performances are wonderful by the members of the cast. John Turturro as Damian has his moments to shine and does a mighty good job. Julianne Moore as Ingrid is wonderful while presenting her insecurities and having to deal with the inevitable that makes for an impactful act. Tilda Swinton as Martha (and Michelle her daughter) is excellent while delivering a richly heartfelt act that impacts you and moves you in many ways. There is an unsaid regret in her personality of how things could have shaped up better but having resigned to her fate was essentially the driving point of her life, again in a contrasting manner. She was simply tertific to witness here.
Conclusion
As a part of our MAMI coverage, The Room Next Door is a gently fragile drama on life, death and their contrasting imperfections that makes for a beautifully pondering watch.