DEUX/ TWO OF US

France, 2019, 99 minutes, Colour.
Barbara Sukowa, Martine Chevallier, Lea Drucker.
Directed by Filippo Meneghetti.

France’s nominee for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, 2021. Golden Globe nominee, winner of the Cesar award for best first feature direction. Many further distinguished nominations. Strong expectations – and, they are well fulfilled.

The tone is set in the prologue, two little girls playing hide and seek, one dressed in black, one in white, the girl in white disappearing. This episode is replayed with sad consequences later in the film, symbolic, when we identify the girl in black with the central character of the drama, Nina.

Then we are introduced to two elderly women, Nina and Mado, intimate, ordinary domestic sequences, yet revealing their deep relationship with each other. In fact, we have to glean the information about their past from various conversations throughout the film, but, especially a finely dramatic sequence (after an hour’s running time) where Nina explains to Mado’s daughter, something of her past and their past, the camera focusing in close-up on Mado’s eyes and tracking steadily towards them for extreme close-up. The director uses many of the stylistic devices to reveal characters and to help us appreciate their personalities, their emotions, the relationship and the demands on it.

There have not been so many dramas focusing on older women and same-sex relationships, the pressure on each of the women, the secrecy, finding the right moment for revelation. This is especially true for Mado, married for many years, tyrannical husband, two adult children, the son resenting his mother’s attitude towards her father, the daughter, a hairdresser, tending her mother, and her son, a young boy, devoted to his grandmother. The right moment comes – but it passes. And there are consequences, some sad and disturbing consequences.

And, for review, that is more than enough information. This is a drama which has so many unexpected developments, turns, the audience wondering where it is leading, where it can be leading. To know nothing about these developments helps, quite considerably, one’s response to the characters, consequences which both enhance and puzzle.

Barbara Sukowa, veteran actress in European and American films, has the opportunity for one of her best performances as Nina. Martine Chevallier is Mado, quite a demanding performance, more passive than active. The tension is strong, especially with the responses of Mado’s daughter and with Muriel, a nurse who becomes involved in care for Mado.

One might not have expected this film to be France’s nomination for the Oscars, but, after experiencing it, one can understand this choice.


1. Awards and nominations? Strong personal drama? Relationship issues? Same-sex issues? Age?

2. The French setting? The city? Streets, shops, apartment blocks? Interiors, apartments, hospital? Hospice? The musical score? The theme song for the couple dancing, its repetition?

3. The prologue, the two little girls, one in black, one in white, hide and seek, the girl in white disappearing – the images in the film of white dress under the water, the recap to the girl in black pulling the girl in white from the water? Symbolic?

4. The introduction to Mado and Nina, their age, intimacy, the relationship? The domestic details of their life together? The plan to sell the apartment, the estate agent coming and photographing, the discussions with Nina? The possibility of going to Rome, an apartment on the Tiber? Memories of where they met?

5. Mado’s birthday, getting her hair done by her daughter, her son and his criticisms, the daughter and their son, the cake, the candles? Mado intending to tell her children about her relationship? Failing?

6. Mado in the shop, Nina smoking in the street, the encounter with the estate agent, Mado looking through the window, Nina’s discovery, her aggressive behaviour, name-calling about lesbians? The consequence? Mato’s stroke and collapse? Nina’s calling the ambulance?

7. The effect on Nina, feelings of guilt, at the hospital? The discussion with Anne?

8. Muriel being hired, care for Mado? Excluding Nina? Nina coming in during the night? Continuing to offer to help, the deal with Muriel, Nina smashing the car, offering to pay? Muriel leaving the door open, the search for Mado? Muriel being fired? Her later return with her son, demanding the money, the smashing of Nina’s apartment?

9. Mado, gradually walking, paying attention, Nina playing their song ? Nina lying on the bed with Mado, being discovered by Anne, the reaction, taking Mado to the hospice? Mado and her behaviour, the bingo, the phone number, ringing Nina, Nina going to the hospice?

10. Anne seeing their leaving through the window, going to the apartment? Nina, taking Mado, discovering the apartment disturbed, the ruining of the plan to escape?

11. Anne, knocking at the door, the couple not opening, their dancing together – and leaving the audience to speculate on what would happen?