The Room Next Door: Pedro Almodóvar’s sad and beautiful drama follows a pair of old friends who get reconnected after decades, as one of them is terminally ill. Almost nothing in the story itself requires it to be set in the US, so perhaps that decision comes from a particular desire of Almodóvar to direct in English or to work with this specific cast. Of course, as we are talking about, for all purposes, a two-hander with Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, it is more than justified. Swinton plays a journalist who has cervical cancer, physically frail but intellectually and emotionally still strong; her striking face and figure fit the bill perfectly. Moore plays her friend, put in an almost impossible position by request, trying to be supportive despite her reservations. Their acting is exquisite, and their performances are subdued even if the story is emotionally charged.  Their physical opposition is a great find, with Swinton’s face being colorless (except for a few key moments) while Moore’s visage is an explosion of red.

The film is quite elegantly made; production designer Inbal Weinberg creates the tasteful sets where the action takes place; cinematographer Eduard Grau keeps the camera dynamic but unassuming. Composer Alberto Iglesias contributes with a gorgeous musical score.