Room in Rome

aka Habitación en Roma

2010
Written by Julio Medem
Screenplay by Julio Rojas
Directed by Julio Medem

“Loving strangers” – repeated lyric of reoccurring song

The trailer for Room in Rome hit the net and people went nuts, because here is a movie about two lesbians who are nude for most of the film having sweet lesbian sex. That whole story about people going to watch art house foreign films just for nudity seemed to apply once again, in the age of the internet and ease to access of nakedness like never before. It was a weird phenomenon. Room in Rome turned out to be a film about two women and their relationship during one night, filled with far more talking than lovemaking (though there is plenty of that as well). Expectations shattered, the buzz from the nudity excitement crowd died down, and what is left is a nice love story that’s probably 20 minutes too long.

The length issue has lead to a reputation that Room in Rome is boring (which I’ve found to be a common complaint of lesbian cinema for some reason). That might be a reaction to the characters constantly bringing up philosophical quotes and European history discussions that will fly over the heads of most viewers. I guess I’m weird because I didn’t mind them, though I question how long you can realistically keep up such highbrow discussion.

Room in Rome flows beyond two strangers just having a one night’s stand before returning to their own lives. Their brief fling becomes an entire romance, and a lifetime of love flies by in that one night. Both characters know that what they have will not last past the break of day. The length does help spread out the approach of daylight. We all know that the morning is coming, and the passion and feelings we are witnessing will have to end, the two women returning to their lives. The spectre of morn haunts through the night, Alba and Natasha both reacting their own way to the upcoming emotional bomb.

Alba (Elena Anaya) – Alba lives in Spain with her partner, and works as an engineer designing light vehicles. She is unhappy in her relationship and more likely to do rash things without thinking. Natasha (Natasha Yarovenko) – Natasha is a Russian woman in Italy for a vacation before she gets married and settles down. Most of her life has been a privileged journey that’s unusual because she’s marrying someone who is only middle class. She rarely takes risks, which is why the night is so out of character for her.