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Two for the Road
Feb. 17th, 2019 09:40 amI always like to check the IU cinema listings before I go to Bloomington, and last weekend I lucked out: they had a Sunday showing of Two for the Road, starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney. (This showing was scheduled before Finney’s death, so that was simply a coincidence.)
I have a lifetime goal of watching all of Hepburn’s movies, so of course I had to go. Two for the Road is a meander - through the south of France, and also through a couple’s relationship, bouncing back and forth through time through their relationship: their happy hitchhiking days when Mark and Joanna were just getting to know each other, the trip with another couple in their early married days, and now a tense drive to meet one of Mark’s clients as they try to negotiate a relationship that may be on the rocks.
It struck me as quite a sad movie, ( spoilers for the end ); even in their early happy days you can see the seeds that will grow into discord in their relationship: Mark’s self-absorption (there’s an entire montage when they’re just getting to know each other which is basically Mark talking about himself for the whole day), his disdain for marriage (which doesn’t stop him from asking Joanna to marry him), their differing goals for the relationship.
There’s less scenery than you might imagine, given the setting - although there is one spectacular scene when Mark and Joanna find themselves unexpectedly on the shores of the Mediterranean. But Hepburn’s clothes are fabulous, in a style quite different than the usual Hepburn Givenchy: this time she’s wearing mod fashion from 1960s London, including one dress that is basically a bunch of silver discs like oversize sequins.
Worth seeing if you’re a 1960s fashion fan or a Hepburn completist. Otherwise - there’s a reason this is one of her lesser-known movies.
I have a lifetime goal of watching all of Hepburn’s movies, so of course I had to go. Two for the Road is a meander - through the south of France, and also through a couple’s relationship, bouncing back and forth through time through their relationship: their happy hitchhiking days when Mark and Joanna were just getting to know each other, the trip with another couple in their early married days, and now a tense drive to meet one of Mark’s clients as they try to negotiate a relationship that may be on the rocks.
It struck me as quite a sad movie, ( spoilers for the end ); even in their early happy days you can see the seeds that will grow into discord in their relationship: Mark’s self-absorption (there’s an entire montage when they’re just getting to know each other which is basically Mark talking about himself for the whole day), his disdain for marriage (which doesn’t stop him from asking Joanna to marry him), their differing goals for the relationship.
There’s less scenery than you might imagine, given the setting - although there is one spectacular scene when Mark and Joanna find themselves unexpectedly on the shores of the Mediterranean. But Hepburn’s clothes are fabulous, in a style quite different than the usual Hepburn Givenchy: this time she’s wearing mod fashion from 1960s London, including one dress that is basically a bunch of silver discs like oversize sequins.
Worth seeing if you’re a 1960s fashion fan or a Hepburn completist. Otherwise - there’s a reason this is one of her lesser-known movies.
