Two for the Road (1967)

Touches You

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

A couple (Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn) in the south of France non-sequentially spin down the highways of infidelity in their troubled ten-year marriage.Apparently the story is that Audrey Hepburn was either going to get an Oscar nomination for this film or for her work in "Wait Until Dark", and it went to the latter. This probably, in my estimation, made this film less known in later years (I saw "Wait" years before this one). Either would be good, solid Oscar nominations, but I think they made the right choice.This film has strong performances from Finney and Hepburn playing multiple ages and multiple emotions. The plot is complicated, but not overly so (just enough to really draw some great parallels). Perhaps I should say "complex". Romance turned bad seems to make for a better film than romance left open (as in most romantic comedies) and this film is no exception. The tense situations are harrowing.

Two for the Road is a comedy drama about an architect and his wife who examine their twelve-year relationship while on a road trip to Southern France. It stars Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn.Written by Frederic Raphael, the story is told in a non-linear fashion, with scenes from the latter stages of the relationship put together with those from its beginning, often leaving the viewer to interpret what has intervened, which is sometimes revealed in later scenes.It was directed by Stanley Donen. While backpacking through Europe, student Mark Wallace falls for lovely music student Jackie, but later settles for Joanna or Jo, another aspiring musician. Once married, Mark and Jo go on a desultory honeymoon, traveling in the company of insufferable American tourists Howard 'Howie' Maxwell-Manchester and Cathy Maxwell-Manchester born Seligman and their equally odious daughter,Ruth. Later on, during yet another road trip, Mark is offered an irresistible job opportunity by Maurice Dalbret, which ultimately distances Mark from his now-pregnant wife. Still remaining on the road, the film then details Mark and Jo's separate infidelities. The film ends where it begins, with Mark and Jo taking still another road vacation, hoping to sew up their unraveling marriage. This is one of the most enduring films of all-time.Despite its initial release back in 1967,many viewers will still find this movie a pleasure to watch primarily due to the great chemistry between Audrey Hepburn,which is considered to be probably one of her most realistic and resonant screen roles and Albert Finney. Not to mention the unforgettable musical score by Henry Mancini.Despite of its few melodramatic clashes with forced comedy,it doesn't stop the movie from being timelessly appealing and truthful to its theme which happens to be the challenge of lasting love.

Two For The Road was the last and least of the films that Audrey Hepburn did with Stanley Donen. It's a matter of taste, but I don't think it is anywhere as good as either Funny Face or Charade.The film is the story of the marriage of Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn told in jigsaw puzzle style, disjointed at different select times of their marriage and what they go through. You date it by the different hairstyles that Audrey Hepburn has and by the various cars that they drive. They're always on the road and if you know from cars and from women's hairstyle trends than you can follow the film a whole lot easier. Me, I'm not an expert in either.Some parts are quite memorable and the best scenes are with another married couple, Eleanor Bron and William Daniels and the little brat monster from hell that they're raising. Bron used to be involved with Finney and she'd like to keep some kind of tie there. But as parents the two are absolute flops, they're very liberal types who don't believe in disciplining their little sugar plum. In fact Audrey has to take a hand in there when the situation becomes intolerable.According to The Films Of Audrey Hepburn, Finney's part was originally schedule for Michael Caine. I could certainly have seen him in the role. I don't think the cinematic jigsaw was necessary. It would have been a better film just done as a straight linear narrative. Still fans of Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney should be pleased.

This film examines the troubled ten-year marriage of a tempestuous couple, moving about in time and place to paint a complete picture. Initially, the chronological jumping around is disconcerting and confusing. Eventually, however, the episodes add up to something interesting, providing an absorbing portrait of the rise and fall of a love affair. Donen goes a bit overboard with his cinematic tricks, trying too hard to be chic. Hepburn and Finney are excellent as the sparring couple. The scenes involving their friends (Bron and Daniels) are quite amusing. The latter couple has what is probably the most obnoxious, spoiled child ever put on film.