Two of Us

The love between two older women is threatened by illness and secrecy in a moving French drama that features Barbara Sukowa at her very best.

Director Filippo Meneghetti makes a confident, intensely moving feature debut with a superbly acted drama about love and the agony of separation. Retired women Nina and Madeleine have loved each other for decades and live together – albeit in adjoining flats, because Madeleine, widowed after an unhappy marriage, has never told her adult children the truth about her life. When Madeleine falls ill, Nina finds herself alone, unable to openly dedicate her time to her partner and excluded by the distrust of Madeleine’s daughter (Léa Drucker).

Essentially a small-scale drama, this cannily crafted drama features a superb performance from Martine Chevallier and, without doubt, one of Barbara Sukowa’s finest. Proof that cinema can be intelligent and have you reaching for the tissues.