Two for the Road (1967)
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77% of critics liked it
(13 reviews) -
82% of users liked it
(7,639 ratings)
In preparing his romantic comedy Two For the Road, director Stanley Donen decided to utilize many of the cinematic techniques popularized by the French "nouvelle vague" filmmakers. Jump cutting back and forth in time with seeming abandon, Donen and scriptwriter Frederic Raphael chronicle… More In preparing his romantic comedy Two For the Road, director Stanley Donen decided to utilize many of the cinematic techniques popularized by the French "nouvelle vague" filmmakers. Jump cutting back and forth in time with seeming abandon, Donen and scriptwriter Frederic Raphael chronicle the 12-year relationship between architect Wallace (Albert Finney) and his wife (Audrey Hepburn). While backpacking through Europe, student Finney falls for lovely music student Jacqueline Bisset, but later settles for Hepburn, another aspiring musician (this vignette served as the launching pad for the film-within-a-film in Francois Truffaut's 1973 classic Day for Night). Once married, Finney and Hepburn go on a desultory honeymoon, travelling in the company of insufferable American tourists William Daniels and Eleanor Bron and their equally odious daughter Gabrielle Middleton. Later on, during yet another road trip, Finney is offered an irresistible job opportunity by Claude Dauphin, which ultimately distances Finney from his now-pregnant wife. Still remaining on the road, the film then details Finney and Hepburn's separate infidelities. The film ends where it begins, with Finney and Hepburn taking still another road vacation, hoping to sew up their unraveling marriage. While critics did nip-ups over Stanley Donen's "revolutionary" nonlinear story-telling techniques, audiences responded to the chemistry between Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney, not to mention the unforgettable musical score by Henry Mancini. Note: many TV prints of Two for the Road are edited for content, robbing the viewer of Finney and Hepburn's delightful "Bitch/Bastard" closing endearments. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Stanley Donen
- Written By
- Frederic Raphael
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Classics, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Apr 27, 1967 Wide
- Studio
- Fox
Critic Reviews
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Pauline Kael, The New Republic
The picture never quite finds its tone.
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Lori Hoffman, Atlantic City Weekly
A benchmark of marital dischord with luminous Hepburn, cheeky Finney
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Brent Simon, Now Playing Magazine
Marks a sea change in one's perception of the actress once glimpsed; adult and a bit barbed, it's a grown-up Hepburn, and probably one of her most realistic, relatable and resonant screen roles.
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Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
A quietly incendiary work from artists who know a match can start the same size fire as a Molotov cocktail.
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Thomas Delapa, Boulder Weekly
The jagged editing left many audiences stranded, but credit Donen for at least trying to put some gas in the worn-out conventions of 1960s mainstream filmmaking.
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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Audrey Hepburn
as Joanna Wallace
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Albert Finney
as Mark Wallace
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Eleanor Bron
as Cathy Manchester
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William Daniels
as Howard Manchester
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Gabrielle Middleton
as Ruth Manch
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Claude Dauphin
as Maurice Dalbret
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Nadia Gray
as Francoise Dalbret
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Roger Dann
as Gilbert
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Libby Morris
as American Lady
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Jacqueline Bisset
as Jackie
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Judy Cornwell
as Pat
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Patricia Viterbo
as Joanna's touring girl friends
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Yves Barsacq
as Police Inspector
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Helene Tossy
as Mme. Solange
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Albert Michel Jr.
as Customs' Officer
