Two For the Road Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Two For the Road Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 27, 2014

Stanley Donen's "Two for the Road" (1967) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; audio commentary with the American director; and archival video interview with scenarist Frederic Raphael. The release also arrives with a 32-page illustrated booklet featuring Jessica Felrice's essay "Signs on the Road Ahead (and Behind)". In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

On the road

At first it seems like Joanna (Audrey Hepburn) and Mark (Albert Finney, Murder on the Orient Express) were meant to be together. While traveling through the French countryside, they look at each other and touch like only people who are truly in love do. Occasionally they argue, but their words are never meant to hurt.

Then they appear slightly older and far less excited about their relationship. They frequently argue and this time it takes them a lot longer to forgive each other. They do not openly admit it, but both feel that their marriage has affected their ability to be spontaneous and honest with each other.

As parents they are frequently annoyed that they have become like the old and jaded couples they used to observe. They talk about their disappointments and admit that they miss their freedom. They still want to be together, but now they are unsure if it is because they are in love or because it is too late to look for something better.

Stanley Donen’s film Two for the Road has two very different identities. The first is that of a stylish romantic comedy determined to prove to its audience that the French countryside is that special place where the sun always shines bright and life is a breeze. Here Joanna and Mark are just another happy couple and despite a few awkward experiences their trip is exactly the type of romantic journey young lovers secretly dream about.

The second identity is that of a delicate romantic drama with some surprisingly honest observations about the way people discover true love, marry and change once they become parents. The film’s playful attitude and the seemingly endless beautiful panoramic shots can hide them rather well, but they are certainly there and the majority of them actually feel strikingly modern.

The structure of the narrative is very unusual. Initially it seems like certain events are introduced as flashbacks, but it is never made perfectly clear if Joanna and Mark’s trip begins in the present or if they simply recall their happier days after they have become parents. As a result, the progression of the character transformations is quite unpredictable.

The film is based on a script by Oscar winning writer Frederic Raphael , who collaborated with Stanley Kubrick on his final film, Eyes Wide Shut. The majority of the events in it were apparently inspired by various experiences Raphael and his wife, Sylvia Betty Glatt, had while living in Europe.

There is good chemistry between Hepburn and Finney and most of the time they do look like a real couple, but eventually the endless arguing becomes rather tedious. William Daniels and Eleanor Bron also leave lasting impressions as the odd American couple.

Donen shot the film in Panavision with cinematographer Christopher Challis primarily in the south of France. Some of the most beautiful panoramic vistas are from Siant-Tropez, Ramatuelle (in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), and Alpes Maritimes, where the Alps meet the Mediterranean.

The soundtrack was created by the great American composer Henri Mancini (Blake Edwards’ Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Pink Panther).

Two For the Road Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Stanley Donen's Two for the Road arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment.

The technical presentation of Two for the Road is good. Excluding the fact that sharpness and shadow definition can be more convincing during select darker sequences -- it appears that brightness levels were slightly toned down when Fox prepared their master -- the film has a very convincing and very pleasing organic appearance. Indeed, there are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments and as a result image depth and clarity are consistently good. There are no traces of color boosting either. Overall image stability is excellent. There are no large debris, cuts, stains, damage marks, or torn frames. Lastly, there are no encoding anomalies to report in this review. All in all, even though there is some room for minor improvements, the film looks healthy and, more importantly, it has the type of organic qualities we expect to see retained when older films transition to Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Two For the Road Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Eureka Entertainment have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

Henry Mancini's beautiful score has a very important role in the film. Thankfully, there is a good range of nuanced dynamics that allow it to effectively enhance some of the more delicate sequences. The score is also well balanced with the dialog (dynamic intensity is very natural). Dialog is exceptionally crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report in this review.

Two For the Road Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Two for the Road. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Frederic Raphael - in this archival video interview, Frederic Raphael recalls how the script for Two for the Road came to exist (it was partially inspired by his own experiences with his wife) and his interactions with director Stanley Donen, and discusses the structure of the narrative, the constantly evolving relationship between the main protagonists, Audrey Hepburn's image and popularity, etc. In French, with optional English subtitles. (26 min).

• Commentary - in this very informative commentary, director Stanley Donen explains why Two for the Road was filmed in Panavision as well as precisely how and where specific sequences were shot, and discusses Frederic Raphael's script and the rather unusual structure of the narrative, some of the unique technical challenges he faced with his crew while shooting in France, the casting of Eleanor Bron and Jacqueline Bisset, Audrey Hepburn's outfits, etc.

• Booklet - 32-page illustrated booklet featuring Jessica Felrice's essay "Signs on the Road Ahead (and Behind)" and technical credits.

Two For the Road Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This very beautiful film from director Stanley Donen is perfect to see on a cold and gloomy December afternoon. I don't think that it is as well polished as it could have been, but it has a casual atmosphere that fits its style and a seemingly endless arsenal of stunning panoramic vistas from the French countryside. It looks quite wonderful on Blu-ray. I also thoroughly enjoyed Henry Mancini's score. RECOMMENDED.