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 thoroughly dated in its execution.
A Tale of Suburban Discontent
The story follows Florence, played by Karine Gonthier-Hyndman, and Violette, portrayed by Laurence Leboeuf. These two unsatisfied women live next door to each other in a bland suburban condo development. Violette has just had a baby, and her husband Benoît, played by Félix Moati, is frequently away on supposed business trips. In reality, he is having hotel-room assignations with a woman named Eli, brought to life by Juliette Gariépy, an actress with cult status 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, sexless relationship with David, portrayed by Mani Soleymanlou. She decides to come off her antidepressants, hoping to unleash her long-repressed wild side.
An Unconvincing Exploration of Liberation
The two women become friends and, without ever formally discussing it as a specific plan, begin having sex with strangers while their partners are away. These encounters occur with men they invite into their apartments for repairs, odd jobs, or to purchase items they have listed for sale online.
The resulting sex scenes feel weirdly both cynical and naive. They are not quite sexy enough to qualify as softcore erotica, nor are they real enough to be plausible as drama. The film resembles a serious Francophone version of the Confessions of a Window Cleaner series, complete with awkward moments that detract from any intended impact.
One particularly strange scene features a drunk Florence demonstrating how bleeding occurs when you cut your wrist with a broken bottle, an unintentionally bizarre moment that adds little to the narrative.
Brief Moments of Interest Amid Mediocrity
There are one or two interesting moments in the film, including an intriguing discussion about Tinder being anti-love. The characters argue that the app promotes addiction to itself rather than facilitating genuine connections, making it inimical to finding a long-term partner.
However, these fleeting insights are not enough to salvage the overall experience. Two Women ultimately proves to be a very tiring and mediocre film, failing to deliver either the erotic charge or dramatic depth it seems to aspire to achieve.
The film is set to be released in UK cinemas from 3 April, but based on this review, it may struggle to find an appreciative audience.
