Two of Us is a beautiful love story that unfolds between two older lesbians. Madeleine and Nina are a retired couple who live together, in and out of each other’s apartments. In the eyes of the world — and Madeleine’s two children — they are good friends who happen to be neighbours. But Mado and Nina have been a couple for decades. They’re planning to buy a house in Rome, where they can openly live together.
Yet, the path to happiness is not clear. Madeleine’s son Frédéric has long suspected her of cheating on his father, whose memory Frédéric holds dear. Mother and son are not close. And Madeleine’s daughter, Anne, has picked up this tension. Madeleine is not out to either of her children. And when her health takes a sharp decline it’s not only her independence that Mado risks losing, but the future she and Nina have dreamed of.
A character-driven drama, Two of Us delves deep into political territory without ever coming off as strident. Through Madeleine and Nina’s story, by highlighting all the barriers to their relationship being respected, this film makes a strong case for lesbian rights. When Mado falls ill, Nina can’t travel in the ambulance with her. Nina can’t sit by her bed, get regular updates, or be involved in decisions about her life partner’s care.
This shift in status is never clearer Anne and Frédéric pack a hospital bag for their mother, while Nina hides in the next room. In the space of a single scene she has been transformed into an intruder in the apartment that has been her home for three years. It’s heart-breaking. Not only because we witness Nina’s devastation first-hand, but because this has happened to countless same-sex couples around the world. Though we have made progress in recent decades, Two of Us shows just how precarious lesbian lives are.
Originally titled Deux, the film is set in rural France — and all the more romantic for the setting and language. Mado and Nina fight for each other with a ferocity that makes Two of Us thrilling. You can’t help but root for them; first Nina as she uses wit and determination to take her rightful place by Madeleine’s side, then Mado as she does everything in her power to find her way back to Nina. It’s a beautiful story.
But, more than that, it’s a story with the power to dispel harmful stereotypes about older lesbians. From the opening scene, we see that Madeleine and Nina have a passionately sexual relationship. They share a joyful life together, filled with laughter and dancing. Throughout Two of Us, both characters are shown in a respectful light. Their love story — enhanced by the sizzling chemistry between actors Martine Chevallier and Barbara Sukowa — is gripping from start to finish.
Two of Us is now streaming as part of Montclair Film Festival.
