TWO FOR THE ROAD    1967Directed by Stanley Donen111 minutesIn English

Audrey Hepburn stars in this 60s flick that broke the mold, and it's clear to see that director Stanley Donen (Singing in the Rain) was trying to shake off his past and create something more wistful and deeply meaningful. What we have is an almost epic film, his "scenes from a marriage" spanning 12 years in a relationship. The film has beauty, but also a sort of autumn melancholy. It is bright, but also edgy and devastating. It's a movie that many people have become attracted to, and indeed it is a haunter.

The story isn't told chronologically, it shifts gears and takes a lot of detours, and basically deconstructs the development of the marriage in a very unusual way. But it is a road movie, and sticks to the couple's summer vacation each year in the south of France around Saint-Tropez. Audrey Hepburn unexpectedly sheds her Givenchy wardrobe and gets real, while the male star Albert Finney is wonderful. Much of the movie is about the chemistry between these two actors, it indeed is very special. Besides the great performances, the script has razor-sharp dialog and some surprisingly honest observations about love. For example, can love and bitterness coincide? The script was by Frederic Raphael (who collaborated with Kubrick on Eyes Wide Shut). A lush soundtrack is supplied by Henry Mancini, and his orchestration deeply enriches the film. It also features one of Jacqueline Bisset's first performances on the silver screen.

A perfect November film, and it will be a high definition screening.