Two for the Road is more than just a great film – it is a poignant reminder of why I love cinema. There is a quality of a story well told that just strikes harder than anything else, and with this film, Stanley Donen made something quite extraordinary – a funny, melancholy and utterly gorgeous film about the trials and tribulations of a couple on a journey, both physically and emotionally, seeing them experience different sights and sounds, and encountering metaphysical challenges that test the boundaries of their marriage in ways that they did not expect, nor were prepared for. Two for the Road is a film that represents the true beauty of cinema – nothing is needed to make for a compelling film more than a good story and a meaningful execution, both of which are clearly present in this film. There are few films that have left me so utterly astonished as this, and this is about as close to a perfect film I’ve seen in a long while (as hyperbolic as that sounds), and the sheer frantic energy this film leaves the viewer with is almost indescribable. It is a beautiful, poetic piece of storytelling, with elements of gorgeous romance, heartfelt comedy and social commentary the likes of which have rarely been produced with such undeniable vivacity and endearing sentimentality, making for truly extraordinary viewing.

If we are being completely honest here (and I hope we are), Two for the Road may just be the best film I’ve seen all year, and a work that is going to linger on in my mind for a very long time. It is clear throughout that this is something so remarkable and special in both its form and content and its just impossible to look away. It is a film that captivates the audience and demands our attention, leading us down a broad narrative path, giving us an almost voyeuristic insight into the lives of two people over the course of their twelve-year marriage, and inviting us to go on their voyage with them. Mark (Albert Finney) is an architect visiting the South of France with his wife, Joanna (Audrey Hepburn). This region has a special place for them – it is where they met all those years ago purely by chance, and over the course of their marriage, they visited these places multiple times, each trip defining a different chapter in their marriage. The film tracks them on several of these trips, splicing in scenes from different episodic moments throughout the course of their marriage, creating a mosaic of pure romance and married life. Whether it be their fateful first meeting where they hitchhiked across the region, or their cross-country trip with a pair of particularly unlikable American friends, or the present day, when they are on their way to attend a celebration for Mark’s work, each new adventure into the French countryside adds a new layer to their marriage, either positive or negative. Their marriage is one that has been filled with equal parts undying love and devotion, but also tension and infidelity – and throughout each of their trips, they start to challenge the other to a brutal but poetic battle of wits, forcing the other to lay their emotional indices bare, and for the truth to come to the fore.

Two for the Road is a film about journeys. I’ve previously spoken in detail about these kinds of films that see characters going from one destination to another, and how the physical expedition is often a reflection of the inner emotional and mental travail they are experiencing. This film is amongst the very best realizations of this concept, and the way in which these (meta)physical journeys are portrayed here are nothing short of astonishing, mainly because of how innovative this film is. Not only does Donen blend genres, but he also tries his hand at changing the way stories are told, structuring this film as a series of episodic moments in the lives of our two protagonists as they travel through the same region at different points in their marital life. Scenes from each period are intercut and scattered liberally, creating a non-linear storyline very much against the traditional melodrama or romantic comedy conventions this film seems to be subverting (and predating nearly every film that took on similar narrative concepts). Two for the Road was postmodern before the movement was even fully-established, taking the idea of a single location (in this case, the South of France) and two agents (the two main characters), and showing how time can change our perception but actually tinkering with the concept of time and linearity itself. The elliptical structure makes this not only a wonderful romantic film but also an outstanding narrative achievement, one that shows complete incredulity to the seemingly straightforward concept of the past, present and future, blending into a series of beautiful and poetic moments of lovable comedy and intricate romance.

The most significant aspect of this film is the journey at the core of it – not a physical journey, but rather one of change. Throughout the course of the film, nothing really tangible changes – the roads Mark and Joanna drive down stay exactly the same, as do everything they encounter throughout the years. Yet, they are different people at every stage we see – time has forced some of their perceptions to change, as well as for some of their more unlikable qualities to remain stagnant. The march of time has resulted in superficial change – the couple has gotten older (but perhaps not matured mentally or emotionally), the clothes go from scruffy student outfits to designer leisure wear (the sheer number of impressive outfits Hepburn wears throughout this film is worth the price of admission alone), the cars become more expensive and break down far less frequently, the beaches become more exclusive, the hotels more prestigious and the friends derived from higher on the social ladder. Yet, at the core of it all is an undying devotion that remains changed – Mark and Joanna just don’t realize it. Their love for each other remains intact, and while the circumstances around their marriage may cause it to wane, they both know deep down, their love has never, and will never, fluctuate regardless of the innumerable obstacles that come their way.

In terms of the actors taking on these roles, neither have ever been better. Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney give arguably their finest performances in Two for the Road (perhaps a contentious opinion, but one I stand by wholeheartedly). The former, in particular, is at the very peak of her craft here and abandoning the waifish, more ethereal qualities defined by her previous characters, Hepburn takes on an individual with real gravitas, affording her the opportunity to show off her range and delve deeper than she ever has before. The role of Joanna makes great use of Hepburn’s most iconic traits – she is just as stylish and graceful as ever, and she brings her indelible elegance to the role in a way that makes us adore Joanna, even when she doesn’t necessarily warrant it. It is Hepburn at her very best, and while she may be embedded in popular culture for some of her more iconic performances, this will remain the best I have ever seen her. However, we can’t ignore Finney, who is a formidable screen partner and shares the proverbial stage with Hepburn, bringing a visceral ferocity to his performance that not only counteracts Hepburn’s more restrained performance but complements it beautifully. Finney is dashing, funny and endearing in the role of Mark, who is a rugged brute on the surface but harbours the sensitive spirit of a true artist deep down. Two for the Road requires the leads to expose their most intricate vulnerabilities and express a certain emotional depth absent from romantic comedies at the time.  It is gorgeous work from both of them, and their remarkable chemistry bolsters this film even more, with their pairing being one of the most inspired in the history of the genre. Everything about their performances just come together beautifully, leaving us with a truly memorable set of interpretations of tricky but captivating characters.

Two for the Road is a film that is equal parts romantic and bleak – Donen has found the perfect blend of adorable comedy and melodramatic suburban malaise with this film. It almost manages to challenge Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage insofar as it is an open exploration of the downfalls of marriage, earnestly investigating the intricate quandaries and tensions that come with married life (and not until DeVito’s The War of the Roses has the threat of divorce been so openly explored with a tinge of humour). This film focuses on two individuals who have come to terms with the fact that they have changed, even if their surroundings have remained exactly the same. There is a possible reading that the impetus for their road trip at the beginning of the film was an attempt to see if by revisiting their old romantic stomping ground, they might regain the spark that made them fall in love in the first place. Two for the Road may be a very warm and occasionally funny film, but it is not always upbeat. Rather, it takes the standpoint of being an often heart-wrenching dissection of a marriage, looking at the decline in a tragic but beautiful way. The way this film portrays the ebbing and flowing of marital life is astounding, and Donen makes sure to deftly avoid anything close to a cliche. He keeps everything moving at a rapid but understandable pace, not dwelling too long on a certain concept and giving the audience enough credit to be able to extrapolate and derive the necessary information to keep the film going steadily. He never relies on narrative delusion or emotional manipulation, and thus everything in this film, while often sentimental, is never gaudy or saccharine. Donen doesn’t get nearly enough credit for his talents as a great storyteller, and Two for the Road is another feather in his directorial cap, which is endlessly impressive as is.

Two for the Road flourishes into a film that questions the taut notion of “til death do us part”, and consists of some brilliantly sardonic commentary on modern romance, asking the ever-present question of “what do we do when the thrill is gone?”. However, this is precisely what makes this film all the more romantic. Mark and Joanna are a couple who have been through it all – the course of their marriage has been a series of adventures and misadventures, good fortune and rotten luck, and they’ve seen themselves falling victim to overt temptation multiple times and thus questioning their marriage. Yet, at the end of it, they are clearly so deeply enamoured with each other, in the exact same way they were years before when they first met. The common and innocuous declaration of “I love you” has never held more heft as it did in the final moments of this film. Donen never dares to tame this film, and allows it to run its course as a powerful meditation on love, and right up until the end, we aren’t entirely sure where this relationship is heading – will the couple finally concede that they need a divorce, or will they resolve their petty problems and understand that despite everything, they are so deeply, undeniably and clearly in love, to the point where “bitch” and “bastard” are far more romantic terms of endearment than anything more traditional?

Do we dare embrace an obvious tautology here and proclaim the central message of Two for the Road as being that life is akin to a long, winding road –  there are many different ways to travel it, and you never know who or what you’re going to encounter on the way. Sometimes, you don’t even have the faintest idea of where the road is taking you, but you just follow it anyway, hoping for the best. Its certainly a journey filled with bumps and twists, and one that cannot ever be predicted, despite our best efforts. Ultimately, the destination – wherever it is and whoever you reach it with – will be worth it. Two for the Road is a profoundly realistic film – it is a subtle, grounded piece about a married couple revisiting their memories of the past, looking towards previous experiences and their importance in not only defining their marriage but forming them as individuals. This film is utterly astonishing – as a piece of commentary on marriage, it is profoundly honest. It makes the statement that in any marriage, there is no such thing as heroes or villains, and even in the tensest of situations, any relationship, whether healthy or declining, consists of two individuals enduring their own personal existential predicaments, and that its sometimes easier to work through these quandaries together than it is alone. Donen made an astounding film, and alongside Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney, he leaves an indelible impression on the viewer, who has been sincerely moved by this honest, frank and beautiful manifesto of true love that shows romance as something truly special, and thus should be treasured by the lucky ones who have it, because when it comes to the languages of the heart, nothing resonates more than the feeling of true, unconditional love.