France’s entry for the Best International Feature Academy Award, Two of Us, is now nominated for a Best Motion Picture-Foreign Language Golden Globe. A story of secret love, two women of a certain age attempt to take the next step in their relationship when something goes terribly wrong with one of them. Families take charge. Following a recent preview screening, director Filippo Meneghetti spoke about his astonishment, that his feature debut would become France’s choice. But his casting of the superb actress Barbara Sukowa to play Nina, a tour guide who stays in a small provincial town in the south of France to be with Madeleine, her neighbor on the same floor of an apartment building, might explain France’s decision regarding this movie. And, the casting of Martine Chevallier, an actress from the Comedie Francaise, for Madeleine is brilliant, as the story shifts when her character has a stroke that leaves her mute. Both actresses are simply riveting, in rage, as when Nina smashes up a car, and in tender moments as they spoon in bed.
Joining Meneghetti for a conversation with
Julianne Moore, Barbara Sukowa quipped, “I thought my lover time was over.” Given the script, she was fascinated by the idea of a young man who wanted to do this film about two late in life lesbians. Asked how she researched her part, Sukowa said she watched The Kids are All Right (2010), where Moore is coupled with
Annette Bening, raising a family. Aside from the mutual admiration for each other’s acting, Sukowa and Moore found similarities in the making of their films: the lack of rehearsal time, for example. Moore and Bening were both in long term relationships with a partner, and children, and that helped. Said Sukowa of the Two of Us’ 31-day shoot, “There were no rehearsals. Filippo just arranged for us to have dinner in Paris. We opened up.”
After hearing of the Globes nod, Meneghetti says, “I’m glad that the story of Nina and Madeleine is touching the hearts of so many people. I’ve never thought that the journey of my first feature could go this far. It’s a huge surprise and a great gift."
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