On this page: A DIFFFERENT MAN | THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

< < C A T C H - U P

He plays Edward, an aspiring actor who joins a trial for a medical procedure that might cure his facial deformities. Meanwhile, he meets his new neighbour Ingrid (Reinsve), aspiring playwright who is inspired to write a new play about him. Then when the treatment works, Edward reinvents himself as the handsome leading man Guy, relishing his newfound popularity. But now he will have to wear a mask if he wants to star in Ingrid's play. Then the arrival of Oswald (Pearson), who looks like Guy used to look, throws him for a loop, because Oswald is intimidatingly confident and talented.

The point of course is that Edward only changed on the outside but is still as timid and insecure as he always was. The way this plays out is bracingly complex, with scenes that unfold with witty and sometimes abrasively hilarious flourishes. Details fill the screen, offering hints about the larger lives of the characters while playfully sending Edward on a spiralling journey into his own soul. It's a rare film that can tackle such a hot-potato topic without ever flinching, continually forcing us to adjust our point of view while confronting attitudes we didn't even know we had.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

8.Nov.24

Intriguingly, the relationship at the centre is complicated by the fact that these two women haven't seen each other in years and only reconnect by accident. Ingrid (Moore) is an author, while Martha (Swinton) is a war correspondent, so their approach to storytelling is very different. Terminally ill, Martha asks Ingrid to go with her to a house outside the city and stay in the room next door when she takes her own life before she becomes debilitated by cancer. This plays out with quiet tension, as Ingrid waits for the moment she will discover that Martha has gone through with her plan. In the meantime, they resume their friendship, revisit their memories and talk about very big issues.

This is a gorgeously made film that is anchored in these two central performances. Both Moore and Swinton offer remarkably low-key vitality as women who remain curious about the past, present and future, facing each through their own distinct perspectives. It's the kind of movie that will annoy anyone who wants there to be some bigger plot twists or heavier momentum. Instead, this is a beautifully observed drama exploring a topic that is rarely discussed with such honesty. So where it goes is softly moving in an unexpectedly nuanced way.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

20.Dec.23