Two for the Road

5/6/18. Somewhat disappointing. And, it was because the marriage between Hepburn and Finney made very little sense to begin with What kind of a man would make a woman (Hepburn no less) push a car filled will luggage and idiotic Finney in it?? Sadly the scenery could not make up for the terrible marriage and this hardly "romantic" movie.

I am only 20 years old and by no means close to marriage, but from what people tell me, marriage is a lot like what is portrayed on screen in Two For The Road. It details the relationship between a husband and wife who basically have a love hate relationship. It's not sugarcoated at all. Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney are great but really do you expect anything different? Hepburn is really the only reason I know of this movie and I'm glad that I watched it. Most of the old movies always have the typical romantic feel to them. There are bumps in the road but really you know watching that in the end they will end up together. With this film it's unclear what the ending will be and that makes for a much more fun ride along the way.

You can tell from the very opening scene that the two leads despise each other, but then in the next segment they hadn't met. For me at first it was a bit jarring not knowing this film was going to take a different approach. It's told in the non linear and jumps around every 10 minutes or so. It's a very effective approach but there were times where I thought it was choppy. For this time of filmmaking it must have been extremely experimental doing a movie this way.

There are times where Finney and Hepburn are unlikeable but even then it's hard not to root for this couple to somehow resolve their long term marriage. It seems that in order to have a successful marriage you have to be willing to make some big sacrifices and ultimately that's what it comes down to. I really liked the scenes in the middle of their relationship where you can start to see the flaws, but at the same time you realize the young love that is blossoming. By the way can Audrey Hepburn be any more beautiful? She is around 40 years old in this movie and looks better than ever. It must be that long hair look...

Not only is it a fun film to watch but it's a realistic one. It may not be a true story but it seems to depict a real marriage give many glimpses at how people deal with each other for several years, and in the end if they can resolve or destroy their marriage.

8.7/10

I think that Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Joanna is her most intense, subtle, and mature. We see her progression from college co-ed to married woman with child, all over the course of about 14 years. In the beginning she is a woman without experience and falls for the boyish charm of Albert Finney. During the course of their marriage, it is she who evolves as she copes with being a parent and with his philandering. This movie portrays what happens to women who enter relationships as innocents, who deal fairly and faithfully with their husbands, only to be done dirt. Had this movie been made twenty years later, we may have seen Joanna progress to a life without Mark and perhaps claim her own identity separate from his. The only movie contemporary to "Two for the Road" that deals realistically with a woman being trapped in a marriage with a cheating spouse is "The Happy Ending" with Audrey's contemporary, the underrated Jean Simmons. I think that "Two for the Road" kind of craps out at the very end by simply devolving into a madcap Swinging 60s frolic, as we see the characters kiss and make up and ride off into their high-end Euro trash sunset.

This is my favorite movie of all time. I just saw it 2 weeks ago, and I've already watched it about 7 times. The way that Mark and Joanna's relationship is displayed through the time changes is excellent, and while you'd think that keeping track of the time would be difficult, it's actually quite simple if you look at the hair and the attitudes of the couple. Audrey Hepburn is magnificent, one of her best performances ever, and Albert Finney is charming as her workaholic husband. The Maxwell-Manchesters are hilarious, especially the little girl Ruthie. Audrey is the bored wife, trying to save the 12-year marriage, while Albert is the overworking, bad tempered husband. The movie takes you through their three trips, the first when their love affair began, the second when she is pregnant with their first child, and the third when their marriage is beginning to fail. Their love is displayed wonderfully, and anyone can see that Hepburn and Finney were in love in real life, too. The music is beautiful, I love how it's played all throughout the movie. I think that it's one of the best parts of the whole movie, but there wasn't a moment when I wasn't completely wrapped up in what was going on. This is a classic, and I can't believe I'd never heard of it before I accidently picked it up at the video store. Anyone who is married (or who's looking for some laughs) should definitely watch this movie, it's a must-see.

This film tells the story of a married couple, played by Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn, who have been married for a decade and are experiencing a rough patch in their marriage. The events of their ten-year marriage unfold through a series of non-linear flashbacks and present day scenes. I felt that the non-linear storytelling format was perfect for this film. A longtime marriage is a relationship that evolves over the course of time. A couple who has been together forever will have experienced happy times, trying times, sad times, etc.

We see Finney and Hepburn meet in the 1950s when Hepburn was traveling with the choir. We see them fall in love. Later, we see the happy couple on their honeymoon. Then we see the couple bickering about children and infidelity. During the more blissful days of their relationship, Finney and Hepburn have modest means. The present day scenes show Finney as a successful architect and he and Hepburn are living the high life. However, Hepburn is very distant and cold to her husband. With money, the couple is unhappy. In one of the present day scenes, Hepburn and Finney are lounging on a beach and conversing very tersely with one another. This scene is juxtaposed with a flashback sequence showing the couple on the same beach but having fun--a very different experience than what they're having now. There are quite a few scenes that show Finney and Hepburn returning to old haunts only to have a completely different experience than they had prior. For some people, these old rendezvous spots may elicit some type of nostalgic feeling, albeit a happy or bittersweet feeling. In Two For the Road, I get the sense that the flashback sequences are all looking back on a relationship with a feeling of sadness.

In Two For the Road, I get the sense that both Finney and Hepburn are unhappy because they don't feel that passion that they used to have and their relationship has become very routine. No longer are they spending the night randomly in concrete construction pipes or frolicking on the French Riviera countryside. Now Finney has a career. Finney and Hepburn are parents to a little girl. From the present day scenes in the film, I get the sense that both parties are bored with one another and are looking for something to spice up the relationship.

As an aside, I loved Hepburn's costumes in this film. Her present day, 1967 wardrobe was especially fun and I loved her giant sunglasses. Hepburn wore a variety of hairstyles in this film, which aided in informing the viewer which era of Finney and Hepburn's relationship they are viewing. In the early days of the relationship (mid-1950s), Hepburn wears her hair in a very prim fashion, a bob with bangs and a headband. Later, before she and Finney have their daughter, she has her hair long and straight. When their daughter arrives, Hepburn's hair is a short bob. Later, in the present day, she sports a very chic, very hip, short hairstyle.

I really enjoyed Two For a Road for it's realistic look at a couple who have experienced many ups and downs in their ten year union.