Two Women brings a female sensibility to a classic farce as the title characters find that the key to happiness could lie in the joy of casual sex. Two Women is not as obviously political or provocative, but its reflections on modern relationships are engagingly comical, cynical and ultimately tender. Violette Laurence Leboeuf lives with her husband Benoit Felix Moati but feels that their marriage has lost its spark since the birth of their daughter.
She seems to be permanently strapped to breast pumps expressing her milk. David spends more time in his greenhouse than he does with Florence, and is convinced that their relationship works best when one of them is on anti-depressants. Violette and Florence bond in their proximity and shared feelings of discontent. The two women are only a balcony away in a housing cooperative block of apartments. The film still remains attuned to its theatrical roots, however, with much of the story unfolding within the comfy, cosy apartments.
Mirrors feature extensively as characters scrutinise themselves or are caught in reflections. Framing seems designed to convey the characters are trapped or limited by their circumstances. There are many of the traditional ingredients of farce here, from coded conversations to misunderstandings, innuendo-laden dialogue and running jokes.
Robichaud and Leger respect those, but put them to the service of something less frantic and more thoughtful as they explore the complexities of motherhood, mental health and modern love. Constantly abandoned, Violette and Florence treat every passing male as an object of desire. Ogling and fantasising become a way of coping with their daily boredom and feeling that life is a disappointment.
Then, Florence acts on her fantasies with the cable guy and soon countless soft porn scenarios are made flesh as every profession from pest exterminator to plumber is booked to provide their services. The endorphin rush of infidelity is liberating and, the film posits, maybe monogamy is just a vastly over-rated male concept anyway. Philosophical musings on what the women want, the gap between sex and love and the minefield of relationships add heft to some agreeable, mild-mannered comedy.
