Two Women Review: A Dated and Clumsy Sex Comedy Remake
Chloé Robichaud's new film, Two Women, is a remake of the 1970 French-Canadian sex comedy of the same name, originally titled Deux Femmes en Or. Unfortunately, this updated version has not aged well, coming across as silly, clumsy, and distinctly dated in its execution.
A Tale of Suburban Dissatisfaction
The story centres on Florence, played by Karine Gonthier-Hyndman, and Violette, portrayed by Laurence Leboeuf. These two women live next door to each other in a bland suburban condo development, both deeply unsatisfied with their personal lives. Violette has recently had a baby, and her husband Benoît, acted by Félix Moati, is frequently away on supposed business trips. In reality, he is engaging in hotel-room assignations with a woman named Eli, brought to life by Juliette Gariépy, an actress renowned for her chilling lead performance in the psychological thriller Red Rooms.
Florence, on the other hand, has no children but is equally unhappy in her bland and sexless relationship with David, played by Mani Soleymanlou. In a bid to reclaim her vitality, she stops taking her antidepressants, allowing her long-repressed wild side to emerge.
An Unconvincing Journey into Liberation
As Florence and Violette become friends, they embark on a series of sexual escapades without ever formally discussing it as a plan. They start having sex with men they invite into their apartments under various pretexts, such as repairs, odd jobs, or online sales. The resulting sex scenes feel oddly both cynical and naive, failing to achieve the sensuality required for softcore erotica and lacking the realism needed for compelling drama.
The film awkwardly resembles a serious Francophone version of the Confessions of a Window Cleaner series. One particularly bizarre scene features a drunk Florence demonstrating how bleeding occurs when cutting one's wrist with a broken bottle, an moment that comes across as unintentionally strange rather than impactful.
Moments of Insight Amidst Mediocrity
There are fleeting interesting elements, such as an intriguing discussion positing that Tinder is anti-love and promotes addiction to the app, thereby hindering the search for a long-term partner. However, these moments are overshadowed by the overall tiring and mediocre nature of the film.
Ultimately, Two Women struggles to find its footing, not being sexy enough to qualify as erotica and not real enough to succeed as drama. It is set for release in UK cinemas from 3 April, but audiences may find it a lacklustre offering in the sex comedy genre.
