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Julianne Moore stars in Pedro Almodovar’s first English-language film, The Room Next Door, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2024. In a Guardian interview, when asked about Almodovar’s directorial style, Moore said:
“His movies are like a dream.”
She made this remark to highlight the vibrant, beautiful aesthetic of his work. The film, a drama about friendship and mortality, features Moore as Ingrid alongside Tilda Swinton as Martha. It won the Golden Lion at Venice, earning a 17-minute standing ovation. Moore’s role showcases her ability to portray complex emotions, drawing from her extensive career.
The film follows Ingrid and Martha, old friends reconnecting in a hospital room. Martha, facing terminal cancer, plans to end her life with a euthanasia pill. Moore’s performance captures Ingrid’s compassion and fear, reflecting Almodovar’s lush visuals.
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Julianne Moore discussed her personal connection to the film’s themes. She lost her mother in 2009, which shaped her view on mortality. The actress also shared her love for ceramics, reading, and family life, balancing her career with her husband and two children.
Julianne Moore on working with Pedro Almodovar
When asked about Almodovar’s filmmaking, Julianne Moore described his style as visually striking. She said:
“There is this elevated visual sense. Women look beautiful, the world looks beautiful.”
She contrasted this with other directors, noting:
“There are filmmakers who say: this world is harsh, so the film’s going to look rough. No one’s going to be lit. It’s going to look real. And I’m like, does life look like that? Does life look harsh? Is that reality?”
Julianne Moore admired Almodovar’s approach, adding:
“Pedro sees beauty: in big piles of fruit, wonderful books, the jackets people wear and the lipstick they have on. And it feels like a feast, you know? A celebration, I think, of life.”
Her role as Ingrid required a range of emotions. Almodovar chose her because she could appear:
“terrified, friendly, compassionate, angry, understanding, stony, slightly eccentric, tender, empathetic but without going too far, fearful and daring at the same time.”
The film’s setting, from a Manhattan hospital to a modernist house, reflects Almodovar’s vivid aesthetic. Moore noted the film’s impact, saying:
“When Pedro’s films begin, the canvas feels kind of vast and personal to him. By the time you finish the film, it feels very small and personal to you.”
The Venice ovation moved her deeply. She stood with Almodovar, Swinton, and his brother, soaking in the audience’s gratitude.
The Room Next Door’s themes and Julianne Moore's performance
The Room Next Door, adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s novel What Are You Going Through, explores friendship and mortality. Moore plays Ingrid, a writer who reconnects with Martha, a dying war correspondent. Martha asks Ingrid to stay in the next room during her planned euthanasia.
The film’s tender narrative includes pink snow falling over Manhattan, symbolizing beauty in tragedy. Moore’s character says:
“You can’t go around telling people there’s no hope. There are a lot of ways to live inside a tragedy.”
Julianne Moore's performance draws on her own experiences. She shared:
“I think about my mortality all the time. I try to do it as much as possible, because I think it’s the one thing that can make you feel most alive.”
Her mother’s sudden death in 2009 from an embolism at 68 influenced her approach. Moore’s life outside acting also has a profound impact on her work. She finds freedom in:
“relationships. Friendship. I find a lot of freedom just walking around, too. I like to read, I love design, I love ceramics.”
She showed off a bronze bowl she made, sold to support a gun-safety organization, calling it:
“evidence of time.”
Her family, including husband Bart Freundlich and children Caleb and Liv, grounds her and helps her balance her demanding career.
Stay tuned for more news and updates.
