Only Two Can Play Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Only Two Can Play Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 24, 2026

Sidney Gilliat's "Only Two Can Play" (1962) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the release include new program with critics Vic Pratt and Peter Lydon; extract from an archival documentary program; archival audio program with Sidney Gilliat; and behind the scenes stills. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"It is not observed that librarians are wiser men than others" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rational minds have never questioned whether the two genders are equally ambitious performers in the game of manipulation. Rational minds have never questioned why either. Sex and money are what make the game of manipulation possible, and because their appeal is timeless, rational minds understand that the two genders will always be equally ambitious in it. Rational minds have always understood that at the center of this game of manipulation is a predictably simple supply-and-demand dynamic, too, one that has been repeatedly mischaracterized over the centuries. Once again, for predictably simple reasons. Some of the least experienced and fortunate performers have used politics to obscure the obvious. Some of the most ambitious performers have attempted and failed to rig the game of manipulation, and to preserve their reputations, they have intentionally obscured the obvious as well. All else is, and always will be, smoke and mirrors.

Sidney Gilliat directed Only Two Can Play six decades ago, but its deconstruction of the game of manipulation has not aged one bit. Indeed, the players participating in it dress better and have superior manners, but none of their strategies and tactical decisions appear dated. It is why Only Two Can Play is still a gem.

The playground is the town of Aberdarcy, supposedly somewhere in South Wales, where middle-aged, married librarian John Lewis (Peter Sellers) is constantly tempted by middle-aged, also married, emotionally available ladies. Lewis greets them and recommends the best books his library has to offer, but gets inviting looks and private phone numbers that, after their departure, he reluctantly discards. The more Lewis refuses to take the bait, however, the greater the temptations become.

On a seemingly ordinary day, Lewis’ defense finally breaks down. It happens during a power play initiated by Liz Gruffydd-Williams (Mai Zetterling), the spoiled wife of Vernon Williams (Raymond Huntley), one of the most powerful men in town. Lewis agrees to see her, and after attending her private party, the two begin a secret affair. In exchange for his time and attention, Lewis is promised a senior, better-paying position in the library, which has just created an employment committee chaired by his new lover’s husband. All Lewis must do to win the promotion is submit the proper paperwork on time and then meet the committee for a rigged interview. His new lover’s husband, already properly conditioned but utterly clueless, will then reward him for meeting the expectations of his spoiled and needy wife.

It all goes as planned until Lewis begins questioning whether his participation in the secret affair is too high a price to pay. Around the same time, Lewis also clashes with his suspicious wife (Virginia Maskell), who accidentally realizes that the new position she has been urging him to pursue requires him to spend time in bed with another woman.

The narrative is loaded with plenty of cynicism, virtually all of which highlights familiar old truths about the game of manipulation. However, all the cynicism is wrapped up in light humor, which prevents Only Two Can Play from evolving into a ‘kitchen sink’ drama, at the time a massive new trend. (This is exactly what Karel Reisz’s very similar film Saturday Night and Sunday Morning becomes, which was completed only a couple of years earlier).

Sellers dominates, but not in a way that prevents other actors from matching the quality of his performance. Zetterling is a terrific seductress and overpowers Sellers several times. Kenneth Griffith and John Le Mesurier are great in a couple of short sequences as well.

Only Two Can Play Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Only Two Can Play arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The release introduces a new 4K restoration of Only Two Can Play, prepared on behalf of StudioCanal. Perhaps unsurprisingly, virtually all visuals boast a very attractive, healthy new appearance with strong organic qualities. Delineation, clarity, and depth are typically excellent. In a couple of segments, very small density fluctuations can be observed, but they are not, in any way, related to problematic digital corrections. The grayscale is excellent. Blacks are lush but not digitally boosted, while grays and whites are effectively balanced. In a couple of darker areas, a few dark nuances can be a tad thicker, but detail is still great. Image stability is excellent. I spotted a few small blemishes, but there are no large cuts, debris, stains, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4,75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Only Two Can Play Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The volume of my system was turned up high, and I did not notice any age-related anomalies to mention in our review. The audio was very clear, sharp, and easy to follow. Dynamic intensity is predictably modest. The film is free of busy action material, and only during one sequence -- where the lovers get stuck in their car and begin improvising after an old man fires his rifle -- dynamic contrasts are decent. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Only Two Can Play Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Sellers Plays It Straight - in this new program, critics Vic Pratt and Peter Lydon discuss Only Two Can Play. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Behind the Scenes - this archival program features interview footage extracted from Paul Joyce's documentary Seller's Best, which focuses on Peter Sellers' performance in Only Two Can Play and improvising methods. Included in it are clips from interviews with Mai Zetterling, Sidney Gilliat, Bryan Forbes, and Roy Boulting, amongst others. The documentary was first broadcast on Channel Four in 1992. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).

• Sidney Gilliat - presented here is an extract from an audio interview with Sidney Gilliat discussing his work on Only Two Can Play. The interview was conducted for the British Entertainment History Project (BEHP). In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Stills Gallery - a collection of behind the scenes stills. Silent. (2 min).

Only Two Can Play Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Participating in the game of manipulation that the two genders have mastered is not optional. At some point in our lives, we are all drawn into it and forced to react. It is what happens then that separates some of us from the rest, and this is the crucial message of Sidney Gilliat's quite funny and thought-provoking film Only Two Can Play. The reaction of Peter Sellers' character is admirable. However, it is not the most likely today, because the Western society no longer values the nuclear family as it did six decades ago. StudioCanal's release introduces a wonderful new 4K restoration of Only Two Can Play. If you choose to pick it up for your collection, please keep in mind that it is Region-B "locked". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.