"We could get a place. Just the two of us."
Apartment neighbors Nina and Madeleine have hidden their deep and passionate love for many decades, but their bond is put to the test when they are suddenly unable to move freely between each other's apartments. France submitted Two of Us as their selection for best international film for the Oscars and many other awards shows. I hadn't heard much from others about it even after the Golden Globe nomination. I'm very impressed with the film. There's a lot to digest here in symbolism and concepts. Firstly, the acting is phenomenal. Barbara Sukowa and Martine Chevallier are wonderful. Together they have a connection like no other. The feelings conveyed feel genuine so us as an audience can connect to each character. All of the characters are well developed, even the ones with less screen time. The story is a simple setup, but it finds ways to get a deeper meaning. It's slow to begin with and takes a little bit to actually get into. Halfway through the first act the issue regarding acceptance of sexuality is discussed. I'm glad that they recognize people, no matter what age, can go through the fear of coming out. Usually we don't see something like this with a person well into their 60s or older. Once the main conflict concerning Madeleine's health is introduced, the film just sails.
The film finds ways to make this drama thrilling in a way. You don't know what is to come or the consequences of the characters' actions. My eyes were glued to the screen. Visually, this is beautiful. It's beautiful in how it looks and how the story is applied to these specific visuals. One interesting concept is the portrayal of time. We're first introduced to clocks and such, but it applies to the age of the characters and how much time, specifically Madeleine, may have left to live. They also explore this through sound design, mimicking the ticking of a clock. Another big aspect is symbolism through birds. I just think it's really amazing what they accomplished with metaphorical imagery. I would love to read the script and see how the messages were conveyed. The dialogue works very well too. I would love to see the other works the writers and director has made previously. Also the actors' previous work. I wish people would recognize this more because it is something really cool. The beginning does take a little bit to get into and there are some pacing issues throughout, but the film does fly by. Another watch might be necessary to fully understand everything on screen. But they really took the mise-en-scène to its fullest potential.
Apartment neighbors Nina and Madeleine have hidden their deep and passionate love for many decades, but their bond is put to the test when they are suddenly unable to move freely between each other's apartments. France submitted Two of Us as their selection for best international film for the Oscars and many other awards shows. I hadn't heard much from others about it even after the Golden Globe nomination. I'm very impressed with the film. There's a lot to digest here in symbolism and concepts. Firstly, the acting is phenomenal. Barbara Sukowa and Martine Chevallier are wonderful. Together they have a connection like no other. The feelings conveyed feel genuine so us as an audience can connect to each character. All of the characters are well developed, even the ones with less screen time. The story is a simple setup, but it finds ways to get a deeper meaning. It's slow to begin with and takes a little bit to actually get into. Halfway through the first act the issue regarding acceptance of sexuality is discussed. I'm glad that they recognize people, no matter what age, can go through the fear of coming out. Usually we don't see something like this with a person well into their 60s or older. Once the main conflict concerning Madeleine's health is introduced, the film just sails.
The film finds ways to make this drama thrilling in a way. You don't know what is to come or the consequences of the characters' actions. My eyes were glued to the screen. Visually, this is beautiful. It's beautiful in how it looks and how the story is applied to these specific visuals. One interesting concept is the portrayal of time. We're first introduced to clocks and such, but it applies to the age of the characters and how much time, specifically Madeleine, may have left to live. They also explore this through sound design, mimicking the ticking of a clock. Another big aspect is symbolism through birds. I just think it's really amazing what they accomplished with metaphorical imagery. I would love to read the script and see how the messages were conveyed. The dialogue works very well too. I would love to see the other works the writers and director has made previously. Also the actors' previous work. I wish people would recognize this more because it is something really cool. The beginning does take a little bit to get into and there are some pacing issues throughout, but the film does fly by. Another watch might be necessary to fully understand everything on screen. But they really took the mise-en-scène to its fullest potential.