Um Caminho para Dois

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

The way those Manchesters tolerated and refused to discipline their bratty child Ruthie so resembled real life parents I've known who excuse their brat's behavior with "He's going through a phase" or "He has issues." OMG "issues" and "phase" my eye! Both parents and the child should indeed should be slapped. Sheeesh.

I read in Danny Peary's "A Guide for the Film Fanatic" that some people have formed a strong emotional attachment to this 1967 film. I am one of them. From the opening notes of Henry Mancini's evocative score (personally I think it's his best work) to the end where the main characters drive off into Italy after some verbal sparring, this movie still provides the same pleasure it did when I first saw it on TV in the early seventies. "Two for the Road" is a time capsule of Carnaby Street fashion and French new wave scene juxtaposition, but it remains timeless in its emotionally piercing view of marriage and in the beguiling presence of Audrey Hepburn. There will unlikely be an actress with more style or grace on screen, and never has she seemed more sexy, playful or innately human. It's a shame she never played a role as rich in texture as Frederic Raphael's script provides here. His dialogue is sharp and insightful, as he has the main characters often repeat one another for the sake of getting a different meaning from the same line of dialogue.

As Joanna and Mark Wallace, Hepburn and Albert Finney get to live out more than a decade in their characters' lives from initial meeting to near-divorce. What makes the evolution more impressive is that the story is not a linear narrative but rather a series of five road trips that volley the viewer back and forth in the relationship. Finney provides a formidable match for Hepburn, and he plays with the right mix of roguish insouciance and insecure ambition that doesn't make his character always likable but certainly believable. Their chemistry is palpable, especially in the early days of their courtship as the movie makes hitchhiking the most romantic of adventures with the couple cutting through the entirety of France in various vehicles in record time. Only in the movies. The episode with the pretentious American tourist couple and their bratty daughter provides some biting and funny moments...ironically, the actress portraying the wife, Eleanor Bron, is British. Not surprising that this movie was not such a huge hit stateside since the four Americans in the movie are portrayed in such an unflattering light.

Regardless, credit needs to go to director Stanley Donen (himself an American), who somehow pulls all these disparate elements together and uses his extensive Hollywood experience to bring a nice glossy sheen to the whole film. His third collaboration with Hepburn (after "Funny Face" and "Charade") really turns into a tribute to her as she makes a remarkable transformation from naïve choirgirl to jaded jet-set housewife that goes well beyond the changing hairstyles and clothing. This is one to treasure.

This wondrous film has been lovingly restored for its much-delayed DVD release. The print quality has been significantly improved over the VHS tape I've had for over a decade. A nice bonus feature is a split-screen before-and-after short that shows the visual improvement. Best of all, there is finally an audio commentary track to accompany the film, and Donen provides illuminating insight on the elliptical narrative structure and the non-chronological juxtaposition of the scenes. He explains that the characters are reliving their memories by association with the feelings they are having in the present. His adoration of Hepburn is pervasive and understandable, as he claims rightfully that this was her best performance (they worked together three times). I just wish Finney was available to add his perspective. Moreover, if you ever wondered why the young Jacqueline Bisset's voice doesn't sound like her at all, he admits she was re-dubbed by another actress due to the blaring noise of generators during the location shooting. She apparently had already moved on to shoot her first Hollywood film. For those like me who adore this film, the DVD is a must-buy.

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.

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.