Tag: pedro-almodovar

  • Best Julianne Moore Movies

    Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Julianne Moore is one of the most talented and accomplished actresses of her generation.

    Moore has been nominated for five Academy Awards for her work in ‘Boogie Nights,’ ‘The End of the Affair,’ ‘Far From Heaven,’ ‘The Hours‘ and ‘Still Alice,’ the last of which finally earned her an Oscar for Best Actress in 2015.

    The actress has also appeared in such popular movies as ‘The Fugitive,”The Lost World: Jurassic Park,’ ‘The Big Lebowski,’ ‘Magnolia,’ ‘Hannibal,’ ‘Children of Men,’ ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.,’ ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle,’ and ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and Part 2.’

    Her new movie, ‘The Room Next Door‘ which was directed by Pedro Almodóvar and also stars Tilda Swinton, will be released in theaters on January 17th.

    In honor of her latest film, Moviefone is counting down the 30 best movies of Julianne Moore’s impressive career, including ‘The Room Next Door.’

    Let’s begin!


    30. ‘Assassins‘ (1995)

    (L to R) Sylvester Stallone and Julianne Moore in 'Assassins'. Photo: Warner Bros.
    (L to R) Sylvester Stallone and Julianne Moore in ‘Assassins’. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Assassin Robert Rath (Sylvester Stallone) arrives at a funeral to kill a prominent mobster, only to witness a rival hired gun (Antonio Banderas) complete the job for him — with grisly results. Horrified by the murder of innocent bystanders, Rath decides to take one last job and then return to civilian life. But finding his way out of the world of contract killing grows ever more dangerous as Rath falls for his female target (Moore) and becomes a marked man himself.

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    29. ‘Psycho‘ (1998)

    A young female embezzler (Anne Heche) arrives at the Bates Motel, which has terrible secrets of its own. Although this version is in color, features a different cast, and is set in 1998, it is closer to a shot-for-shot remake than most remakes, Gus Van Sant often copying Alfred Hitchcock‘s camera movements and editing, and Joseph Stefano‘s script is mostly carried over. Bernard Herrmann‘s musical score is reused as well, though with a new arrangement by Danny Elfman and recorded in stereo.

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    28. ‘Evolution‘ (2001)

    A comedy that follows the chaos that ensues when a meteor hits the Earth carrying alien life forms that give new meaning to the term “survival of the fittest.” David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Seann William Scott, and Julianne Moore are the only people standing between the aliens and world domination… which could be bad news for the Earth.

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    27. ‘Nine Months‘ (1995)

    When he finds out his longtime girlfriend (Moore) is pregnant, a commitment-phobe (Hugh Grant) realizes he might have to change his lifestyle for better or much, much worse.

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    26. ‘Next‘ (2007)

    Las Vegas showroom magician Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) has a secret which torments him: he can see a few minutes into the future. Sick of the examinations he underwent as a child and the interest of the government and medical establishment in his power, he lies low under an assumed name in Vegas, performing cheap tricks and living off small-time gambling “winnings.” But when a terrorist group threatens to detonate a nuclear device in Los Angeles, government agent Callie Ferris (Moore) must use all her wiles to capture Cris and convince him to help her stop the cataclysm.

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    25. ‘Carrie‘ (2013)

    (L to R) Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore in 2013's 'Carrie'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    (L to R) Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore in 2013’s ‘Carrie’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    A reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White (Chloe Grace Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother (Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.

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    24. ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1‘ (2014)

    Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) reluctantly becomes the symbol of a mass rebellion against the autocratic Capitol.

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    23. ‘The Hand that Rocks the Cradle‘ (1992)

    A suburban family chooses seemingly sweet Peyton Flanders (Rebecca De Mornay) as their newborn’s nanny. Only much later does the infant’s mother, Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra), realize Peyton’s true intentions — to destroy Claire and replace her in the family. The nail-biting suspense builds quickly in this chilling psychological thriller about deception and bitter revenge.

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    22. ‘Non-Stop‘ (2014)

    Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a burned-out veteran of the Air Marshals service. He views the assignment not as a life-saving duty, but as a desk job in the sky. However, today’s flight will be no routine trip. Shortly into the transatlantic journey from New York to London, he receives a series of mysterious text messages ordering him to have the government transfer $150 million into a secret account, or a passenger will die every 20 minutes.

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    21. ‘A Single Man‘ (2009)

    The life of George Falconer (Colin Firth), a British college professor, is reeling with the recent and sudden loss of his longtime partner. This traumatic event makes George challenge his own will to live as he seeks the console of his close girl friend Charley (Moore), who is struggling with her own questions about life.

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    20. ‘Maps to the Stars‘ (2014)

    Julianne Moore in 'Maps to the Stars'. Photo: Entertainment One Films.
    Julianne Moore in ‘Maps to the Stars’. Photo: Entertainment One Films.

    Driven by an intense need for fame and validation, members of a dysfunctional Hollywood family are chasing celebrity, one another and the relentless ghosts of their pasts.

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    19. ‘I’m Not There‘ (2007)

    Six actors (Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, and Heath Ledger) portray six personas of music legend Bob Dylan in scenes depicting various stages of his life, chronicling his rise from unknown folksinger to international icon and revealing how Dylan constantly reinvented himself.

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    18. ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2‘ (2015)

    With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) confronts President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – including Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin), and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.

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    17. ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park‘ (1997)

    Four years after Jurassic Park’s genetically bred dinosaurs ran amok, multimillionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) shocks chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) by revealing that he has been breeding more beasties at a secret location. Malcolm, his paleontologist ladylove (Moore) and a wildlife videographer (Vince Vaughn) join an expedition to document the lethal lizards’ natural behavior in this action-packed thriller.

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    16. ‘The Fugitive‘ (1993)

    Wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife (Sela Ward) and sentenced to death, Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) escapes from the law in an attempt to find the real killer and clear his name.

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    15. ‘Hannibal‘ (2001)

    (L to R) Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore in 'Hannibal'. Photo: MGM Distribution Co.
    (L to R) Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore in ‘Hannibal’. Photo: MGM Distribution Co.

    After having successfully eluded the authorities for years, Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins) peacefully lives in Italy in disguise as an art scholar. Trouble strikes again when he’s discovered leaving a deserving few dead in the process. He returns to America to make contact with now disgraced Agent Clarice Starling (Moore), who is suffering the wrath of a malicious FBI rival as well as the media.

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    14. ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle‘ (2017)

    When an attack on the Kingsman headquarters takes place and a new villain rises, Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong) are forced to work together with the American agency known as the Statesman to save the world.

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    13. ‘Safe‘ (1995)

    Carol (Moore), a typical upper middle-class housewife, begins to complain of vague symptoms of illness. She “doesn’t feel right,” has unexplained headaches, congestion, a dry cough, nosebleeds, vomiting, and trouble breathing. Her family doctor treats her concerns dismissively and suggests a psychiatrist. Eventually, an allergist tells her that she has Environmental Illness.

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    12. ‘Short Cuts‘ (1993)

    Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot (Lily Tomlin) accidentally runs into a boy with her car. Soon after walking away, the child lapses into a coma. While at the hospital, the boy’s grandfather tells his son, Howard (Bruce Davidson), about his past affairs. Meanwhile, a baker starts harassing the family when they fail to pick up the boy’s birthday cake.

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    11. ‘Far from Heaven‘ (2002)

    In 1950s Connecticut, a housewife (Moore) faces a marital crisis and mounting racial tensions in the outside world.

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    10. ‘The Room Next Door‘ (2025)

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Ingrid (Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

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    9. ‘May December‘ (2023)

    Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple (Moore and Charles Melton) buckles under pressure when an actress (Natalie Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past.

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    8. ‘The Hours‘ (2002)

    “The Hours” is the story of three women (Nicole Kidman, Moore, and Meryl Streep) searching for more potent, meaningful lives. Each is alive at a different time and place, all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. Their stories intertwine, and finally come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.

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    7. ‘Still Alice‘ (2014)

    Alice Howland (Moore), happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a devastating diagnosis, Alice and her family find their bonds tested.

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    6. ‘Magnolia‘ (1999)

    An epic mosaic of many interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.

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    5. ‘Children of Men‘ (2006)

    (L to R) Clive Owen and Julianne Moore in 'Children of Men'. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (L to R) Clive Owen and Julianne Moore in ‘Children of Men’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist (Clive Owen) agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman (Clare-Hope Ashitey) to a sanctuary at sea, where her child’s birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.

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    4. ‘The Kids Are All Right‘ (2010)

    Two women, Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Moore), brought a son and daughter into the world through artificial insemination. When one of their children reaches age, both kids (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) go behind their mothers’ backs to meet with the donor (Mark Ruffalo). Life becomes so much more interesting when the father, two mothers and children start to become attached to each other.

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    3. ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.‘ (2011)

    Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily (Moore). Cal’s seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.

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    2. ‘The Big Lebowski‘ (1998)

    Jeffrey ‘The Dude’ Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a Los Angeles slacker who only wants to bowl and drink White Russians, is mistaken for another Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston), a wheelchair-bound millionaire, and finds himself dragged into a strange series of events involving nihilists, adult film producers, ferrets, errant toes, and large sums of money.

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    1. ‘Boogie Nights‘ (1997)

    Julianne Moore in 'Boogie Nights'. Photo: New Line Cinema.
    Julianne Moore in ‘Boogie Nights’. Photo: New Line Cinema.

    Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family of movie-makers, misfits and hangers-on that are always around. Adams’ rise from nobody to a celebrity adult entertainer is meteoric, and soon the whole world seems to know his porn alter ego, “Dirk Diggler”. Now, when disco and drugs are in vogue, fashion is in flux and the party never seems to stop, Adams’ dreams of turning sex into stardom are about to collide with cold, hard reality.

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  • Movie Review: ‘The Room Next Door’

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    ‘The Room Next Door’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.

    Opening in wide release in theaters on January 18th, ‘The Room Next Door’ represents something that would ordinarily be cause for celebration among cineastes –– it marks the English-language debut of accomplished and rightly celebrated writer/director Pedro Almodóvar working in the sort of low-key yet meaning-packed drama genre he has shone in in the past.

    And it also feature another key element of the filmmaker’s career –– superb female actors in the lead roles. The problem is that with this latest effort, the switch to entirely English has somehow resulted in the life of the piece getting lost in translation.

    Related Article: Oscar Winners Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore Talk ‘The Room Next Door’

    Does ‘The Room Next Door’ house quality filmmaking?

    (L to R) Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Perhaps the biggest issue with ‘The Room Next Door’ is quite how stilted and staid it all feels. While you don’t necessarily look to Almodóvar for genre-smashing fireworks, you might hope for some real level of passion, and that simply doesn’t really come through here.

    While the cast acquits themselves adequately, the dialogue they have to deliver sounds more like something out of a film school effort, with labored exposition in the early going (pity poor Tilda Swinton having to explain how she worked late nights and didn’t get to see much of her daughter to the very woman who worked the long shifts with her all those years ago), or Julianne Moore doing her best to breathe life into a sequence where the two women look around a rented house deciding which room to each take.

    The film is full of moments that feel like they were excised from other, better dramas and though the main pair are still at the top of their game, nothing in the script is worthy of their talents.

    Script and Direction

    Director Pedro Almodóvar in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Director Pedro Almodóvar in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Almodóvar is here adapting Sigrid Nunez’ novel ‘What Are You Going Through’ and you do rather wonder whether the novel had deeper layers that Almodóvar somehow didn’t manage to transfer into his screenplay.

    While the early portions feature Moore’s Ingrid and Swinton’s Martha reminiscing about old times, the disjointed nature of Martha’s recollections in particular make the movie tough going. The story jumps around in time, but with little consequence or real impact, and editor Teresa Font doesn’t do too much to help, sequences ending abruptly or feeling choppy.

    Visually, the film has more to recommend it as Almodóvar floods the screen with color and keeps the locales beautiful –– it’s just a shame that the actual filmmaking is so timid and staid, cutting from one average, locked-down shot to another, and rarely finding much in the way of natural rhythm.

    ‘The Room Next Door’: performances

    Beyond Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton and later arrival John Turturro, there’s little to recommend on the performance front.

    Julianne Moore as Ingrid

    Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    A reporter-turned-novelist, Ingrid is our focal point, but despite Moore giving her some spirit, she’s honestly so bland and first base that it’s hard to argue she’s worth spending time with. Her exchanges with Swinton’s characters only ever work because of the two performers’ consummate skill.

    Tilda Swinton as Martha

    Tilda Swinton in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Tilda Swinton in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Swinton has more to play given that her character, who spent years reporting on conflicts, now finds herself at war with cancer. There are layers and depth to Martha and Swinton naturally finds them all, keeping her composure when necessary but hinting at darker depths.

    Yet, like Moore, she struggles to do much with the first-base scripting.

    John Turturro as Damian

    (L to R) Julianne Moore and John Turturro in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Julianne Moore and John Turturro in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Memorably talked about before he ever arrives on screen (since he’s someone both women slept with and recall as an enthusiastic lover), Turturro’s Damian is possibly the only supporting cast member who really makes much of an impact.

    He fully commits to his quirky yet quiet character and his scenes are watchable.

    Alessandro Nivola as Policeman

    Alessandro Nivola in 'The Brutalist'. Photo: A24.
    Alessandro Nivola in ‘The Brutalist’. Photo: A24.

    Honestly, the less said about Nivola’s character the better, since he’s more of a stereotype than an actual functioning human being. A police officer who interrogates Ingrid over the circumstances of Martha’s self-administered euthanasia, he’s in one scene and comes across as a plot point –– a religious fanatic who has serious issues with what Martha has done and is threatening Ingrid with punishment for her part in supporting her friend.

    Between this and ‘Kraven the Hunter,’ Nivola isn’t having a great time of it lately, though he can thank a great performance in ‘The Brutalist’ for helping keep his cine-ledger balanced between disappointment and success.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    If this is what happens when the great Pedro Almodóvar switches to working entirely in English, he might be better served sticking to Spanish-language movies. He has nothing to prove given his hefty past of successful movies and full awards cabinet, but this feels like a stumble.

    If a movie with two of the best actors around and the seemingly compelling twin subjects of friendship and assisted suicide can’t bring the drama, you know something is very wrong.

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    What is the plot of ‘The Room Next Door’?

    Ingrid (Julianne Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Room Next Door’?

    • Tilda Swinton as Martha / Michelle
    • Julianne Moore as Ingrid
    • John Turturro as Damian
    • Alessandro Nivola as Policeman
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and director Pedro Almodóvar in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and director Pedro Almodóvar in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Other Pedro Almodóvar Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Room Next Door’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Pedro Almodóvar Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘The Room Next Door’ – Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore

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    Opening in theaters in wide release on January 17th is the new drama from acclaimed director Pedro Almodóvar (‘Pain and Glory’) entitled ‘The Room Next Door’. The movie stars Oscar winners Tilda Swinton (‘Michael Clayton’) and Julianne Moore (‘May December’), as well as John Turturro (‘The Batman’) and Alessandro Nivola (‘Kraven the Hunter’).

    Related Article: Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman Talk Todd Haynes’ ‘May December’

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore star in 'The Room Next Door'.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore star in ‘The Room Next Door’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore about their work on ‘The Room Next Door’, their first reactions to the screenplay, working together to form their characters’ friendship, and collaborating on set with director Pedro Almodóvar.

    You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.

    Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Julianne, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and what were some of the aspects of this character that you were excited to explore on screen?

    Julianne Moore: Well, I think one of the things that was really thrilling about reading Pedro’s screenplay was that it was centered around this female friendship, and so that is something that I was anxious to bring to the screen. So often, women in films, when you see two women on screen, they’re a relationship that’s like a familiar relationship, their mother and daughter, or it’s a love story, or they’re antagonists, and those things have not been my experience. In my life, my female friendships have been incredibly important to me, and I think it’s such a profound honor to be able to witness another human being as they move through their life. So, the fact that that was what this screenplay was about was incredibly moving to me.

    Tilda Swinton in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Tilda Swinton in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    MF: Tilda, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and why did you want to play this character?

    Tilda Swinton: I was so grateful to Pedro for sending me this script. I mean, I was so grateful to him to know that he wanted to make a film about this subject, it’s a subject that’s extremely personal to me, and that he asked me to make it with him, it was a very happy day. I would say that he wanted me to play Martha because I’ve had the privilege, I would say in my life, to be in what I call the Ingrid position many times, the position of being in support to loved ones who are facing the end of their lives. So, to have the opportunity to download and step into the impulses of someone in the Martha position, I’ve learned so much from the Martha’s in my life, was an amazing gift, a highly personal gift. So, I was beyond thrilled, and its pure happiness for me. The film is all about happiness, and about life and the living of it.

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    MF: Julianne, can you talk about the process of creating this friendship on screen with Tilda?

    JM: We didn’t know each other, really, before we started this. She’s someone whose work I’d always admired tremendously, and I loved how she was in the world. We’d always say hi to each other when we were at a film festival, or a press event, or somewhere, or if I saw her in a restaurant, and I’d always wanted to work with her. Then, suddenly, we had this wonderful opportunity, and what was great for us is that is I think our friendship developed in real time. As we spent time together on the set, and talked about our lives, and talked about our work, and talked about our kids and our relationships, I think what you saw on screen was happening. We became real friends.

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    MF: Tilda, Martha makes a big request of her friend Ingrid, can you talk about that and working with Julianne?

    TS: Well, their friendship is a very old one. They’ve known each other since they were very young, they were both writers, and they both still are writers. But originally, they were journalists working together at a magazine, in their 20s we assume. Then they drifted apart, mainly because Martha became a war correspondent, and Ingrid became a novelist. They haven’t seen each other in probably 20 maybe even longer years. They haven’t seen each other at all. I mean, they’re aware of what they’ve been doing because they’re both very celebrated and they have a kind of public profile, but they haven’t seen each other. So, this thing of coming back together, knowing someone so well for so long, not seeing them for maybe 20 years, coming back together in this very particular moment, a moment where truth draws on that ancient bond. I know this myself; I’ve had the experience of seeing people again that I hadn’t seen for years, and it’s such a wonderful thing because you just don’t sweat the small stuff. You sort of gloss over the details of the last couple of decades, and then you get down to having a good time again like you are in your 20s. Julianne and I, the great miracle is, we didn’t know each other at all. We’d met each other and we knew of each other, and we both liked the look of each other, but we became old friends within an afternoon, and we are now very old friends who’ve known each other for one year, we’ve been making up for lost time ever since. It was a huge blessing that she came on the film and that we really have that bond. So, there was no acting required, we were truly happy to be in each other’s presence.

    Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    MF: Julianne, can you talk about Ingrid’s reaction to Martha’s request, and how do you think you would react to something like that in your own life?

    JM: One of the wonderful ways that this is introduced, I think, is that initially, when Ingrid hears that Martha is sick, the first thing she does is rush to the hospital to see how she’s doing, and she’s the kind of person who shows up. She shows up day after day after day just to keep her company, to talk to her, to make her feel better. Certainly, Ingrid was not expecting this situation, but I think one of the reasons that Martha ends up relying on her is that she sees that Ingrid is reliable, that no matter what, she’s going to try to be there as a real friend and do what her friend needs. It’s painful. I think Ingrid is very honest about it and says that this is not something that she’s comfortable with, but she also realizes that Martha is in need, that this is what she needs at that moment, and she feels like that’s the right thing to do. So, yes, I’d like to think that I would be like Ingrid because I think that’s the kind of friend, we all want to be, and we all want to have.

    (L to R) Director Pedro Almodóvar, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Director Pedro Almodóvar, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    MF: Finally, Julianne, what was it like working with director Pedro Almodóvar and was it everything that you expected?

    JM: He’s a true artist. Everything that you see in his films is in him. The colors, and the composition, and the music, and the point of view. You walk into his apartment in Madrid, and you realize, “Oh my gosh, I’ve seen everything in this apartment on screen in his films.” That’s what’s so wonderful is that it’s intensely personal to him. It’s very meaningful. The books that he’s read and the films that he’s seen, the art that he’s loved, all of it is present there, the people that he’s cared about. After, I met a lot of the members of his crew, and I realized I had seen them in several of his movies before. I was like, “Oh my gosh, she played that part.” So, I love that about him. I love that his films are him. They’re him turned inside out on the screen.

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    What is the plot of ‘The Room Next Door’?

    Ingrid (Julianne Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Room Next Door’?

    • Tilda Swinton as Martha / Michelle
    • Julianne Moore as Ingrid
    • John Turturro as Damian
    • Alessandro Nivola as Policeman
    Director Pedro Almodóvar in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Director Pedro Almodóvar in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Other Pedro Almodóvar Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Room Next Door’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Pedro Almodóvar Movies on Amazon