Two Of Us (Deux) is an arresting debut feature for Filippo Meneghetti, whose resplendent and romantic love story is one for the ages. His assured grip on the complexities of this affair amount to a breath of fresh air, not just with the film’s portrayal of a lesbian relationship, but in its depiction of the keen sexual appetite of many in their autumnal years.
It’s no coincidence that Nina (Barbara Sukowa) and Mado (Martine Chevallier) live across the hall from one another, in their grandiose Parisian apartments. Inseparable since they met in their youth, they’ve done what they’ve had to do to keep each other close. Even in retirement they sneak around like teens, but with Mado now a widow, and her children all grown up, she can finally divorce herself from her motherly duties and live life with Nina to “be who we want”. But the assumption of disapproval holds a reserved Mado back, to the frustration of Nina, who is a free spirit with less to lose. As Mado chokes on the truth, and Nina’s fury rises, a tragic situation finds Mado flung even further back into the proverbial closet.
When Mado and Nina are alone, you can feel the heat between them.
To a well observed portrait of a love-struck couple, Meneghetti adds genre licks, from the wink of a thriller when Mado’s carer presents further obstacles to their union to black comedy as keeping up the façade becomes increasingly difficult. But it never descends into farce. When Mado and Nina are alone, you can feel the heat between them (hinted at by a palate of rusty reds and glowing golds). However, when in the company of others, their desire dutifully cools so as not to rouse suspicion. It’s an exhausting act and, as titillating as a secret affair may be, you ache on their behalf.
Queer cinema is no stranger to themes of suppressed desire and the threat of societal shunning or discrimination. As Mado, Chevallier embodies these notions, yet also manages to convey how carefree a person can and should be with whom one loves, albeit needing a little coaxing from her lover. In a particularly heightened scene, dramatically amplified by the accelerating whirr of a washing machine, Nina confronts their estate agent and demands to know if he has a problem with “two old dykes”. His, “No, of course not,” response is exactly what you want him to say, and for Mado to be able to believe — as an exasperated Nina says, “See? No-one gives a damn!”
An unfortunate incident leaves the excellent Sukowa carry the weight of the story. Yet even in her quelled, distant state, Chevallier conveys all the emotion needed to keep us invested in this enchanting relationship.