Festival de Venecia: Almodóvar divide con 'La habitación de al lado'

'La habitación de al lado', el primer largometraje en inglés dirigido por Pedro Almodóvar, ha visto hoy la luz en el Festival de Venecia. La película protagonizada por dos de las mejores actrices del mundo (Tilda Swinton y Julianne Moore) aspiraba a ser uno de los grandes títulos de la temporada pero su recibimiento en el certamen italiano no ha sido tan caluroso como se podía suponer. Aunque los periodistas españoles están siendo bastante generosos, hay varios críticos que apuntan que el cambio de idioma no le ha sentado bien al manchego y que el resultado final es irregular (aunque parece claro que va de menos a más) y no tiene la chispa habitual de sus películas. Las actrices sí han salido muy bien paradas, particularmente Tilda Swinton que tiene el papel más agradecido de los dos. El periplo festivalero de 'La habitación de al lado' seguirá en Toronto, pasará por San Sebastián (donde Almodóvar recibirá un Premio Donostia) y finalizará en Nueva York, la ciudad en la que se ambienta la historia.

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR: After a rough first act, Almodovar's latest killed me. His fears of aging, dying, the unresolvable past are, here, explored with such grace and humor. And Swinton's performance is nearly the equal of her work in MEMORIA and THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER. #Venezia81
— Tim Grierson (@TimGrierson) September 2, 2024

I was really taken by The Room Next Door. It’s Pedro Almodóvar’s first feature in English and there is some rather stiff, awkward language. But once you get past that—or embrace it—the film is a sad and comforting and sensitive rumination on death. https://t.co/KCjx3hRMke
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) September 2, 2024

The Room Next Door is a mixed bag. It starts off strong but loses its footing along the way. The concept is intriguing and the performances are all strong. Almodóvar’s social commentary is also a highlight. Unfortunately, since the setup leaves no real room for surprise, the… pic.twitter.com/RSriwdwps1
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) September 2, 2024

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR is one of Almodóvar's most muted and mature films yet -- about taking life and death into one’s own hands -- but leaves much to be desired. The usual bite just isn't there. But it's a joy to watch Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore together pic.twitter.com/OzH3f5emes
— Ema Sasic @ Venice (@ema_sasic) September 2, 2024

Glad to say that none of Almodóvar’s melodramatic sensibilities get lost in translation in his first fully English language feature; The Room Next Door. Despite its saddening topic of Euthanasia, this is still clearly an Almodóvar film because it’s so full of life, colour and… pic.twitter.com/8RI7zhvKSB
— Luke Hearfield @ Venice 🎥🇮🇹🥂 (@LukeHearfield) September 2, 2024

While I found the concept of THE ROOM NEXT DOOR interesting, it didn’t work at all for me. It’s tendency to dump exposition at your feet and rely on dialogue and performances that feel so persistently synthetic, makes it arduous to walk away with any sincere emotions. pic.twitter.com/jp0UWAubep
— yasmine | ياسمين (@filmwithyas) September 2, 2024