Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s English-language debut film, winner of the Venice Golden Lion 2024, is a heartfelt, meditative, crafty work of a filmmaker who keeps developing with age.The issues he brings up  belong to his phase of life, which can make it hard to feel the depth of those emotions when you’re twenty years younger or so. Mortality, regret, memory, loss of curiosity and pleasure which comes with older age are the issues he tackles in this film.

Renowned actors like Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore offer sublime, measured performances. Almodovar follows a carefully developing storyline where the mentioned themes are brought to the surface without trying to add any more spice to the story. This is a film about connections and how much you need them in the face of uncertainty. The message Almodovar seems to want to press on to us at his age: Watch your friendships, you will need them above everything else. You may have lived an exciting, full life, but all of that will fade. What remains when the end closes in, is, do you have someone in ”the room next door.”

The friendship is between the war correspondent Martha (Tilda Swinton) and the author Ingrid (Julianne Moore). Ingrid has heard from a mutual friend that Martha is in the hospital battling cancer. She visits her and they renew their old friendship bond. When Martha asks her for help to face her impending death, she wants her to be close when the moment comes, in the room next door. The message is beautiful: nobody should face his or her last moments in life without someone nearby, in the room next door, making you know that you are not alone.

Conversations with the ex-lover of both women circles around frustration and anger, as well as empathy, listening and compassion. Martha is the one who faces immediate pain and regret. Ingrid is the one who wants to be a faithful friend, listening and showing empathy. The film is very sympathetic to both women. This film, framed into the scenes and colors that have been so characteristic of Almodovar’s films, is tender, poetic and wise. So, my advice is to watch and listen!

Rinus Baljeu, June 2025

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