The Room Next Door marks the celebrated filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar's first English-language feature, showcasing stellar performances by Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) and Julianne Moore (Still Alice). The film explores universal themes like friendship, mortality, and the complexities of human relationships. While the opening might feel a bit stiff, especially during the flashback sequences, it quickly finds its footing by zeroing in on the dynamic between the two leading ladies. The palpable chemistry between Swinton and Moore breathes life into heartfelt dialogues and moments of genuine connection. Premiered at the Venice and Rio Film Festivals, Room Next Door shines as one of 2024's cinematic gems, standing tall as another milestone in Almodóvar's illustrious filmography. With these three powerhouses involved, we knew we were in for something special. It's an invitation to reflect on life, the choices we make, and the strength of the bonds that tie us together.
Asteroid City could be described as the "most Wes Anderson" film of Wes Anderson (Isle of Dogs, The Grand Budapest Hotel), in the sense that the director not only reaffirms his style -with all its artifices- but from the beginning is self-aware of them. The story here is framed as a theatrical work about the remote homonymous village, where a space convention for privileged intellectual youth takes place, where events of existential implications occur. Through an absurd plot and using his typical cast of actors -with some new names like Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie and Maya Hawke- Anderson presents us with situations that make art and science converge in the spiritual experience of not understanding anything, but still searching for purpose. For those who are not avid followers of the director, this movie may not fit their sensibilities. However, fans of the filmmaker and his peculiar style will love it. Read more in our review of Asteroid City.
Directed, written, and starred by Salvadoran comedian Julio Torres (Los Espookys), Problemista is a comedy that presents an absurd premise and doesn't worry about its credibility, and instead embraces its ridiculousness and runs with it. Set in an unspecified time in New York, Álex (Torres) aspires to be a toy inventor at Hasbro, with ideas as absurd as Barbies with crossed fingers or Cabbage Patch dolls with cellphones. To make ends meet, he works at a cryogenization clinic that freezes patients to wake up in the future (although there's no certainty that such technology will exist). When he is fired, he takes a job as an assistant to the neurotic Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton at her finest), who harbors the unreal idea of curating an exhibition of her artist husband's paintings, one of the frozen patients. With a production design that indulges in camp (closer to Roger Waters than to Pedro Almodóvar), using cheap costumes and ridiculous digital special effects, Torres builds a surreal and amusing atmosphere that satirizes the twisted difficulties of living in the United States (especially for Latin immigrants), the banal and stupid egocentrism of the cultural elites, and the absurdity of corporatism. Its eccentricity may repel some, but if you approach it on these terms, you'll leave the cinema having seen something truly unique.
David Fincher is known as a director who appreciates order. He repeats the shooting of scenes up to 50 times, exhausting the actor so that they start delivering the scenes almost as if they were living in a dream (or would it be a nightmare?). It can be questioned if this is a healthy way to work, but it yields results, just look at Fight Club, Se7en, Zodiac, and the like. Now, he releases a film that is precisely about order and obsession: The Killer. The feature tells the story of a professional hitman (Michael Fassbender) who makes a mistake. On an important mission in Paris, he misses the shot: instead of hitting the target, he hits a woman. That's where his nightmare begins. Throughout two hours of projection, Fassbender's nameless character tries to correct his mistake and take revenge on the effects it caused. In short, The Killer, beyond talking about the routine of a professional hitman or anything else, is about this man needing to return to his world of order and organization. The environment provokes him: after all, everything is out of order, and his wife (Sophie Charlotte) has suffered the first consequences of this error. It's a film about order and obsession: the assassin will do everything possible to make things return to what they really are. All of this with a stellar performance by Fassbender.
Remake of the Italian movie of the same name, originally released in 1977. Directed by Luca Guadagnino (of ‘Call Me By Your Name’), it explores the themes addressed by the story grandly and challengingly but flirting with the bizarre at times, resulting in a final product that may not be for everyone's taste. The fact is, the mix of art (through dance) and supernatural horror remains intriguing, made even more fleshy by a cast that includes names such as Chloë Grace Moretz (‘Kick-Ass’), Tilda Swinton (‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’) and Dakota Johnson (’Fifty Shades of Grey’). Even if it is confusing, ‘Suspiria’ should still please fans of more artistic horror.