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MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

Two of Us - In Theaters; Rental from Prime Video, VUDU, Apple TV, Fandango Now, Redbox on Demand, DIRECTV ($6.99 - $7.99)

Not Rated

Directed by Filippo Meneghetti
Starring Barbara Sukowa, Martine Chevallier
In French, with subtitles

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.” (Song of Solomon 8:6 NRSV)

Madeleine (Chevallier) and Nina (Sukowa) have lived across the hall from one another for a long time. Since they are retired and not getting any younger, the two dream of selling their apartments and moving to Rome, where they first met. They are close friends but also lovers. Nina is a free spirit and unashamed of their mutual affection, but Madeleine, a widow, has kept their relationship a secret from her adult children Anne (Léa Drucker) and Frédéric (Jerôme Varanfrain). Since their relocation from France to Rome is bound to require the sharing of information, Madeleine promises to finally come out to her family so that they can fulfill their dreams.

Except Madeleine just can’t quite go through with it. Her hesitation is understandable, but it fosters a complication that only becomes more problematic when unexpected circumstances move the two women even farther apart.

Two of Us is one of those rare films that is best viewed knowing as little as possible. It is primarily a moving character study, but it is also a thriller, a black comedy, and a suspenseful romance. I deliberately chose to forego the link to the film’s trailer above this review, since it reveals one of the early plot twists. If you insist on viewing the trailer, click here to view.

Imagine Romeo and Juliet with older adults presented in the style of Alfred Hitchcock. There is family conflict, forbidden love and more than a few surprises in this briskly paced movie. The acting is uniformly excellent, featuring the great German actress Barbara Sukowa (who has been a major international star for 40 years) and Martine Chevallier (an accomplished theater actress with the Comédie Française). The director is Italian and chose these two women specifically to tell this story, which is a master class in storytelling.

When love is real, you do whatever it takes to nurture love. That is the heart of the gospel story, which speaks of God’s mighty love for us, Christ’s passion for us. Two of Us may be a bit melodramatic, but its message is clear: Love kept in the shadows cannot remain that way forever; it’s meant to shine brightly, whatever the cost.

Halo and Pitchfork Rating:

Four halos: Passionate love, denied by a variety of circumstances, leads to a series of unexpected events.
Two pitchforks: Some swearing, which always seems worse when subtitled; mild violence.

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