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Martha and Ingrid

An ideal and unexpected friendship

Magdalena

8/9/2026

Having finished the movie “The Room Next Door”, by Pedro Almodovar, I kept wondering. More than that, my mind and heart took me back to the past and to the future really, on a quest for a deep unexpected bond like Martha and Ingrid.

These initial notes came through as raw observations, impressions that lasted long enough to share them with you here. Yet again,I find myself not paying a good tribute to directors and actors and to the art itself, while watching this kind of a masterpiece on an old ipad, with a much diminished frame. I wonder if the impact of the story telling would change should I immerse myself in the “cinema” environment. And I will take it up as a homework. Free yourself up and create a home cinema.It is about time, after living without a TV for about fifteen years or so.

The actresses and the director were already a very inspiring hook that made me choose this movie on a stormy evening. The contrast of the topic with the genius of the storytelling left me perplexed. I have now many tabs opened that I would like to approach and consider, for the future. For the unknown future that deserves its kindness, generosity of a friendship, even if rekindled. For the blast of the colours telling a parallel story with each scene. The only boundary I will set up would be around the architecture of the house, not because it was absolutely incredible, just because I cannot imagine myself as a character in a brutalist designed backdrop. Perfect by all means, for this topic and the events unfolding there. Perfect for the choice.

I would normally not say much about the events in a movie, as a prompt for the readers to follow suite their own impulse and go watch this movie.

And yet, this time, as the telling of the story unfolds so many aspects of the characters’ lives, I would like to warn slightly the curious minds here, who happened, like me to miss watching the movie at the time of the release.

Ingrid, played by Julianne Moore, is a best-selling author in New York, and we meet here at the signing of one of her latest book launches. She meets an old friend who mentions Martha, their common friend. Ingrid lost touch and she was not aware about any developments regarding Martha, hence she is shocked to learn that her old friend has cancer and she is in hospital. This is how the movie starts. We see then Ingrid, showing up in the most natural way, at the hospital and showing up every single day for her friend. There are few clumsy scenes, silences, but Ingrid notices that Martha is eager to talk so she keeps listening. This bond between them is seamless. A friendship that is rekindled without effort almost, or at least this is how we see it. Martha is played by Tilda Swinton.

We are in the presence of the inevitable as Martha kind of starts to feel there is only one end of the story, despite her acceptance of the trial treatment. And yet, the form screams at all times almost, even when the patient is so pale, the form screams “Hope”. The form relays acceptance, the form give us punches of vivaciousness, through all the bold, block colours, through art, present in almost all scene, through the impeccable subtle art of fashion that the characters wear.

Everything in the movie became to me an ideal.

I have kept thinking, I would love to dress like Ingrid.

I have kept thinking, this reminds me of the Lincoln Center in New York - and it was indeed the Lincoln center.

I have kept thinking, I love Martha’s home, home-home,(not the chosen home with the room next door), where they sit and have a coffee in the perfect Pantone colour block cups, on the bright blue sofa. (The images are found on internet, not sure of the authour). Ingrid browses the journals Martha kept as a war journalist, she listens to stories of the past, and past lovers. They laugh when they talk about their gentleman friend, Damian, (played here by John Turturro) that happened to be also their lover, during different time lines. They reminiscence of the power of sexual attraction during traumatic times as war journalists. As if the act of having sex would save them from the miseries of lost lives and all the atrocities they had to report on.

Their gentleman friend,Damian, remains a solid pillar in Ingrid’s life and he shows up this time for Ingrid with support and lending a shoulder anytime is needed, being again with practical legal support or simply being present whenever needed most. He keeps emphasising, he is only a call away. And he steps up with every occasion.

Besides the colours, the boldness and punctuation, there is no drama. The subtlety is at large here. The insightful looks, the toned dialogue. Occasionally, tears yes, but everything is just looming. The topic, the immensity of the ask, of the final proposition, is not dramatic. Is just is. As logical as it can get. Under the circumstances and its risks.

We remain marked by the reds, from the shirts, the bags, the detail of the furniture are eternally present. The purples, nuances of blue, bold greens, yellows are constantly showing up. Red is a leading colour at all times. Be it an object of clothing, a book cover, a bag, a collar, a flower on a massive art piece, a bold bright lipstick. Red for “Life”. Red for “Passion”. Red for “Alive”. Red for “I am Here”. Red for “I am Standing Tall”.

These pops of colour are in our face, and yet subtle. Sometimes the topic comes up, and then the pop of colour kind of diminishes the impact. There is no time to be sad, whilst the story calls otherwise for all spectrum of feelings.

Red for “I am Not Afraid”.

We have quite a start of the movie with already a heavy topic. The thought that you could lose someone that was once close to you and very dear, and the life kind of separated.

Then as we move through the rekindling of this deep bond, Martha gains more clarity in her heart really, and also practically, she remains a person of action. She has a clear plan, a path, a deep knowing on how she would envision her goodbyes. This is the moment I will not re-tell. This is where you find the movie and press play.

She comes up with a plan, thought over and partially executed, all details unravelling. While Martha asks her now again best friend to listen and try to accommodate her wish, we all wonder. We notice all micro facial expressions Ingrid tries to contain, the dignifying questions she is asking, her respectful manner at all times towards Martha’s wishes. Ingrid accepts. Although she is deep down afraid. As we are rarely asked to commit to such a friendship requests, she says yes.

A new movie is almost unfolding as we leave also New York and we move on the outskirts for a planned month outside of the city. A new set up, a stunning immersive nature and architecture. Our beloved characters by now eat together, there are a lot of fresh fruits all the times, always in bold colours again, there is a sun deck with amazing sun-beds holding them while resting or chatting. There are movie nights and memories. The pain that Martha shares about her inability to connect properly with her daughter. Her quiet acceptance that her own daughter resents her for the fact that she was never home, she was never a good mother. Ingrid does bring up the subject up few times and Martha is unmoved on this. Ingrid might contact her daughter, but not yet. She does not need to know anything now. She is that firm.

We will remember Martha as happy, now catching up an occasion to be alone at the rental brutalist home, able to fulfil her plan, and she shines through in a yellow suit with a bold red lipstick. Her eyes are shining. She can accomplish her dream, without having to stress so much her friend, even if Ingrid did accept Martha’s plan.

I loved how even if by now we all know almost what is going to happen, because we are all familiar with the plan, Martha remains so considerate and masterful. They both are. The kindness and gentleness we learn from Ingrid is incredible. Even when, so tempted as a writer, she finally asks Martha if she can publish her war journals, she asks for it ever so discreet, afraid that she is overstepping her role. Afraid that she might perhaps be interpreted as an opportunist.

Martha’s answers are always monotone. Full of acceptance. I am not sure if anyone can become like that for a longer period of time, while having to face a grim reality. The fact perhaps that she has witnesses and reported war atrocities, “facts only”, not literary masterpieces, transpires in the way she is approaching how to handle her last days. “No emotions”.

Both of them understand and respect their responsibilities in the plan. In the way they will say good bye. This is never a rehearsed experience. This kind of situation is unique, it requires a presence of spirit and high alert awareness at all times.

One of the scenes I loved is when Ingrid goes to a gym, in the town near-by the rental house. She has to take on an instructor as she is not a member, and they start doing some aerobic exercises. She is suddenly clumsy, she listens to his leads as a scared kid, her postured is not even tall, she becomes smaller, and her body reflects how scared she is about the enormity of the act she had accepted for her friend. She shows us with her calm clumsiness, that she does not know what to do. I have this scene in my mind all the time. The little things we think we do well, on auto pilot, become a huge task on a day that is not that ordinary anymore.

The door while a huge block of color red, screaming LIFE, threatens us and looms during their stay there as a character in its own right.

To me, this red door represents both our fears, ever present, obvious or looming, and equally alive. Living means not only breathing, loving, doing what we love, writing, showing up for families or friends, but it means also looking at this red door that represents living with these fears in ourselves. Or the fears we can see in others, the fears that others chose or not choose to share with us.

The brilliance of this movie is perennial. I have caught up myself taking many pauses while trying to express my impressions here, on this neutral canvas. Pauses of flash-backs. The scenes are jumping back at me.

The power of solid block colours, yes, coming back at me on repeat, but not only. Their dialogue. Their “business as usual” friendship, that stood the test of time and just picked up. In a strange way, everyone becomes a care-giver for the other. Ingrid might look as the main care-giver, both her Martha and later for Martha’s daughter. And yet ,Martha somehow is still a care-giver, for them as well, taking care of all possible details and leaving no room for misinterpretation. While their common friend, the gentleman, both loved, is now a good old friend and a care-giver in a way to Ingrid.

Maybe the theme is loneliness, the loneliness of our lives. All of them have that in common. And yet, Ingrid, with this big and simple act of showing up, taking a pause from her duties as a busy writer, starts a domino effect, through which all of them are reunited.

Martha’s daughter with her entrance towards the end of the movie, fills us the space in a surreal effect, as if Martha’s still there, ever present. There is no ending really.

There is life. There is continuity. Martha’s spirit and the spitting image continue to show up in the world. Her war diaries might survive and be published. There is a domino effect of STAYING ALIVE.

I have by now discovered many interviews with the crew, Pedro Almodovar, Tilda Swindon and Julianne More, and this can keep me busy on a next long flight.

More importantly, I have been even more intrigued by the book that started it all. I have not read or heard about the book Pedro Almodovar attempted to adapt in this movie. But now I know what I am going to read next. I am saying that he attempted to adapt it, because he declared in an interview that he could never go back to read it again.The script found its own course and he went outside of the box in many aspects.

Sigrid Nunez,What Are You Going Through

So much more to uncover, at the second viewing, at the reading of the book, and there are so many ways we can reframe hope and the very practicality of things, that are always left last to consider. Like good-byes.

Magdalena’s Substack