Reviews (28)

A Great Movie That Isn't Given Justice on This DVD
I love this movie. Good acting by Powell, Astaire, and one of my favorites - Peter Lawford. Unfortunately the transfer to DVD is very poor. I think the film is badly in need of restoring. Even the colour (such as the skin on Jane Powell's face) is not constant in the film while watching. I bought it because I felt I had nothing to lose. It was a good price and is better than my EP copy that jumps, if that gives you any idea of the quality. It's probably better if you get a chance to get a hold of a SP version of the video. Of course the DVD is nice as you can skip to your favourite scenes, but there are no extra features with this one. Fred Astaire's dancing on the ceiling routine is a real classic though, and the movie is definitely worth seeing! If you buy the DVD just be prepared to overlook the flaws. Also, just a warning that there are two DVD versions, one in colour and the other is advertized as B & W.

Comparison of two releases
The 2001 digitally remastered GoodTimes DVD if far superior in both picture and sound than this 2002 Alpha Video DVD. -- Roy

Dancing on the Ceiling again
Fred Astaire and Jane Powell are a highly successful sibling dance team. They are given the chance to take their show to London at the same time as the Royal Wedding. Fred and Jane each meet prospective mates (Jane's is a Lord) and in typical musical fashion, they all make their commitments at the end.

This is a classic movie with excellent acting, singing, dancing and good humor. This is the movie that inspired the song "Dancing on the ceiling" and is also the one where Fred shows he can make any partner look good (even a hat stand). You even get to see Fred and Jane try to impress an audience on an ocean liner while the boat rocks uncontrollably in the rough seas; hilarious.

There are no special features on this DVD (I often find special features to be a waste), but that does not detract form being able to own this timeless classic

Nice dancing and music, but very dull
This movie would have been a complete failure if Fred Astaire hadn't starred in it. I found it to be exceptionally dull. Except for "I Lost My Hat in Haiti" and "You Are", and footage from the actual wedding of a member of the British monarchy, this film is pretty terrible.

A Must Have for your collection!!
If you love Astaire, you'll love this one!! His amazing dance on the walls and ceiling from the movie has become so famous that, across the years, it has overshadowed the very real event around which the lush MGM musical was staged.

Fred and his sister (Jane Powell), find themselves performing in London at the time of the incredible festivities celebrating the Coronation of the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II. Just to get into the swing of things, they both fall in love, and in a marvelously staged finality, they make it a double wedding, just as the Queen receives her Crown. With an ensemble cast which includes Peter Lawford and Sarah Churchill, and Keenan Wynn, you'll need this one to keep your toes tapping!! ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A Great Movie That Isn't Given Justice on This DVD
I love this movie. Good acting by Powell, Astaire, and one of my favorites - Peter Lawford. Unfortunately the transfer to DVD is very poor. I think the film is badly in need of restoring. Even the colour (such as the skin on Jane Powell's face) is not constant in the film while watching. I bought it because I felt I had nothing to lose. It was a good price and is better than my EP copy that jumps, if that gives you any idea of the quality. It's probably better if you get a chance to get a hold of a SP version of the video. Of course the DVD is nice as you can skip to your favourite scenes, but there are no extra features with this one. Fred Astaire's dancing on the ceiling routine is a real classic though, and the movie is definitely worth seeing! If you buy the DVD just be prepared to overlook the flaws. Also, just a warning that there are two DVD versions, one in colour and the other is advertized as B & W.

Comparison of two releases
The 2001 digitally remastered GoodTimes DVD if far superior in both picture and sound than this 2002 Alpha Video DVD. -- Roy

Dancing on the Ceiling again
Fred Astaire and Jane Powell are a highly successful sibling dance team. They are given the chance to take their show to London at the same time as the Royal Wedding. Fred and Jane each meet prospective mates (Jane's is a Lord) and in typical musical fashion, they all make their commitments at the end.

This is a classic movie with excellent acting, singing, dancing and good humor. This is the movie that inspired the song "Dancing on the ceiling" and is also the one where Fred shows he can make any partner look good (even a hat stand). You even get to see Fred and Jane try to impress an audience on an ocean liner while the boat rocks uncontrollably in the rough seas; hilarious.

There are no special features on this DVD (I often find special features to be a waste), but that does not detract form being able to own this timeless classic

Nice dancing and music, but very dull
This movie would have been a complete failure if Fred Astaire hadn't starred in it. I found it to be exceptionally dull. Except for "I Lost My Hat in Haiti" and "You Are", and footage from the actual wedding of a member of the British monarchy, this film is pretty terrible.

A Must Have for your collection!!
If you love Astaire, you'll love this one!! His amazing dance on the walls and ceiling from the movie has become so famous that, across the years, it has overshadowed the very real event around which the lush MGM musical was staged.

Fred and his sister (Jane Powell), find themselves performing in London at the time of the incredible festivities celebrating the Coronation of the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II. Just to get into the swing of things, they both fall in love, and in a marvelously staged finality, they make it a double wedding, just as the Queen receives her Crown. With an ensemble cast which includes Peter Lawford and Sarah Churchill, and Keenan Wynn, you'll need this one to keep your toes tapping!! ... Read more

Reviews (15)

One of the best musicals of the 1950's
Besides Singin' in the Rain and 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (which always get good reviews), this is a forgotten gem. I like the movie because there is some cynicism in the characters that make their transformations that much more memorable. If you don't know the basic story line, it's about 3 guys who were the BEST of friends as war buddies, decide to meet years later, and have realized that through the passage of time...now they HATE each other. Of course, it's an MGM musical, so you should know how the ending turns out.
Gene Kelly proves again that he's not only a great dancer, but a great actor, although I do believe like the other reviews that Dan Dailey does the best acting job. Michael Kidd does a good job being the simplest of the three. And don't forget the ladies, especially Cyd Charisse--I don't think she ever does anything wrong.
2 musical sequences stand out-- one is when the 3 main characters are in 3 different locations and start singing a song and the dance choreography is the same for all of them--you see 3 different screens (so they are obviously in 3 different settings) which I think was unique in the 1950's. Just an amazing sequence that makes you realize why movies are great. And the 2nd is the Gene Kelly roller skating sequence, which I feel has a bigger emotional lift considering the circumstances in the movie than his "singin' in the rain" bit of the movie of the same title. The movie's not as good as "singin' in the rain" , but if you're looking for some great musicals that they don't make anymore, I think you'll enjoy the flick.

"A Neglected Charmer"
This musical, oddly neglected, is in fact a worthy companion to "Singing in the Rain" and "The Bandwagon." Gene Kelly is his usual brilliant self, and the underrated Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd almost rival him in elegant hoofing. Not only their opening dance sequence employing garbage can tops, but also that terrific scene in a fancy restaurant where these three World War II war buddies are later reunited and privately sing of their disappointment in each other rival in wit anything in the aforementioned musicals. Moreover, the photography in both these scenes surely ranks among the most imaginative ever put on screen in the service of that elongated band-aid, Cinemascope. Cyd Charisse, always beautiful, is here at last given something to do. Her singing and dancing scene with the boxers in Stillman's Gym shows her at her cinematic best. Dolores Gray as a TV host is wonderfully over the top, and TV itself as a new medium comes in for a wonderfully insightful drubbing remarkably early in its career as the boob tube. Finally ,then, only one question arises - When will this film be released in widescreen on DVD?

Gene Kelly Is Love On Two Feet!
Standout production about three inseperable Army buddies with big plans who on their last drunken night together after World War II vow to reunite ten years later...and can't stand each other when they do.

This really is an overlooked diamond which deserves among all others the DVD treatment for its wonderful use of 2:35:1. There is one scene which particularly suffers from the pan and scan - the musical number in which the three pals sing and dance on a tri-split screen (each thinking the same thing about the others - `Once Upon A Time I Had Two Friends...' is the song). Compositions are great all around, though. Jazzy, upbeat musical numbers and some of the greatest dance steps Gene Kelly ever pulled off (the stellar one on the roller skates `I Like Myself' which is seen briefly by Jean Reno in THE PROFESSIONAL, and a great set in the beginning where the GI's tap dance with trash can lids on their feet are particularly amazing). Cyd Charrise kicks it up with a gym full of pugs in `Baby, You Knock Me Out' and Dolores Grey for my money gives the best performance in the awesome `Thanks A Lot But No Thanks,' alternately dynamiting and gunning down her suitors...it cracks me up every time.

And the story is smart and sweet too, touching on the endurance of real friendship, the benefit of hindsight, and the healing effects of true love. Granted, like a good horse it tends to sag a little in the middle, but it comes back kicking in the end. This one is a real classic. I love it too much to give it less than four stars, but it loses one for the pan and scan.

Pan and Scan Disaster
Everytime I see this VHS, I think back to an interview with Kelly where he said this film would never be released on VHS during his life because he would have to chop it in half. Kelly hated the pan and scan that came with a standard 1.33:1 TV screen and if you ever see this film letterboxed, you will understand why. (Luckily I have the Gene Kelly Collection on laserdisc which is letterboxed.)
It is a gritty film, that at times moves a little slowly, but the tap dancing rollerskates is truly one of the most talented things I have ever seen Kelly do-it is amazing.
Serious Gene Kelly fans should push for a re-issue of the above mentioned collection on DVD. Then you could see it as it should be seen.

A cynical "On The Town."
It is a Gene Kelly vehichle and there are three wartime buddies, but that's pretty much where the "On The Town" similarities end. It is a surprisingly sharp, cynical story in which the protagonist's dreams do *not* initially come true- due to life circumstances. Betty Comden and the late Adolph Green- responsible for so many great film scores as well as the scripts of "Auntie Mame," "Bells Are Ringing," and "What A Way To Go-" contribute very witty songs here, including the Danubian tri-liloquy sung by the guys and Dolores Gray's "Thanks A Lot, But No Thanks" and "Music Is Better than Words (delivered with a rich, smooth contralto)." I wish Kelly and Charisse had danced together (the omission makes the film appear a bit empty), but my favorite numbers are still his garbage-can dance through the streets and her sexy sweater-and-skirt dance with the boxers, "Baby, You Knock Me Out." And I would've liked the roller-skating finale better if it didn't have a big, looming, piece of the "Singin' In The Rain" set in the background. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

A true classic.
TWO FOR THE ROAD had been nearly forgotten except by a few film buffs until Audrey Hepburn's untimely death. People are discovering it and finding it ageless for a number of reasons. The theme of a marriage changing through the years is a well-understood premise. It could be predictable were it not for the wonderful acting by the entire cast, primarily Albert Finney and Ms. Hepburn. Eleanor Bron and William Daniels are a terrific pair of American snobs who join them through a period of their adventure in marriage. The ingenious filmic vehicle(s) that moves the characters through various periods in time is unexpected and beautifully manuevered by the film's tender and loving director, Stanley Donen. Anyone who accuses Donen of being a one trick pony (Singin' in the Rain) should SEE THIS FILM!

Memory Lane Is A Bumpy Road
Some films from the Sixties have dated more than others. I loved this film when it first came out and for years had many pleasant memories of it. Some years ago, my English wife and I travelled across France by road from Calais to the Med and throughout the journey I had images of this film constantly re-playing in my head. So I looked forward to seeing it again after a long time. I don't know whether the times have changed that much, or I have. What once seemed witty, relevant, truthful, charming and modern now strikes me as a somewhat pretentious mess. I seem to remember more comedy than there actually is in the film. The scenes of the crumbling marriage are much too stark a contrast to the lighter tone of other scenes. Moving the storyline back and forth in time is not a problem, but the frequently uncertain tone is. Is it a comedy? A drama? A comedy/drama? A drama/comedy? Who knows? Certainly not Stanley Donen who was so much more assured directing Audrey Hepburn in Charade. Audrey is Audrey, even in the dramatic scenes. Albert Finney bounces between being a latter day Tom Jones and an upmarket Jimmy Porter. The chemistry between the two is marginal. The sequence with Eleanor Bron and William Daniels - two wonderful performers in other circumstances - now seems strained and tedious. The only saving graces are the French countryside and Henry Mancini's music (one of his best scores). Maybe someone seeing the film for the first time will enjoy it more. I remember once hearing that Meg Ryan wanted to do a re-make of Two For The Road. Lets pray to the gods of cinema that it never happens.

Fantastic!!
OK, this movie is just great!! It puts you in such a good mood and brings you to another land. I see there are a few people who made negative comments about the movie.... They are insane!! Two For The Road is a wonderful movie!! I recommend everyone watch it!! My boyfriend who has completely different taste than me even loved it!! Must see!!

If not the best romantic film ever made one of the five top!
Stanley Donen made an unforgettable film and futhermore a model film .
This is a film you'll enjoy always , for many reasons.
The script is supported by a creative edition , a road movie told at different narrative lines , where past present and future are mixed to create a excellent gaze about a simple couple in a road between England and French with thw forrest , the sea as powerful background.
The couple Hepburn - Finney was a hit. Both of them in the peak of his creative powers .

Delightful , a true song for the life and the love , and despite the crucial emotional croosroad at the end , it gives us amazing dialogues and funny situations.
In my opinion , behind Singin'in the rain , consider this one as the major work of this legendary film maker!

A rocky marriage, and a look back at a happier yesterday
When Mark and Joanna Wallace see a pair of newlyweds in a car, amid a throng of rice-flinging well-wishers, the following exchange is heard.

Joanna: They don't look very happy.
Mark: Why should they? They just got married.

It's clear that the Wallaces' marriage has seen better days from that cynical observation. Joanna is sick of seeing her successful architect husband at the beck and call of a certain Maurice, her husband's jaded indifference and extramarital affairs. That leads to an introspective look at their past, given by a series of questions is posed. Where did it all go wrong? You haven't been happy since the day we met, have you? Why do we keep on with this farce? Is it worth it? And of course, how long is this going to go on? These also seem to reflect Hepburn's own marriage to Mel Ferrer, which would last for one more year.

The series of flashbacks, told non-linearly, takes the viewer seeing how Mark and Joanna first met, their travels with another married couple, and the time when they had their first child, when Mark's preoccupation in his career rather than his family reveals the first cracks appearing in their marriage. And the film's running gag involves Mark unable to find his passport, because Joanna has taken it from him. This comes into play as the one consistent thing in their relationship, and a reminder of the past.

By far, the days when Max and Joanna hitchhike across France are the happiest. Sure, they are on a strict budget, being rained on, and a temperamental MG auto, which has a destructive sendoff when it finally poops out. But they were like a couple of kids without a care in the world, having fun. "What kind of people eat without saying a word to each other?" The answer is married people, they say during their romantic period. Years later, when their marriage is on the rocks, they make the same observation, only this time it's about themselves.

David, Joanna's extramarital lover, puts perspective on things when he tells her "there comes a time when one must grow, when the old things aren't amusing anymore." So what does one do when the old things include marriage or being together? Does one stick it out and become more miserable and self-denying, or does one call it a day? What's clear is that promises of never disappointing one another, that the marriage will be one of heaven, and the magic disappears once things don't become personal anymore, but driven by something else.

The transitions between the different times can be differentiated in the car driven, Joanna's hairstyle, dress, and how happy Mark and Joanna are. Donen's sudden jump cuts from present to the various pasts are effective and creative.

Audrey Hepburn is wonderful as usual, and there's growth in the kind of character she plays. Joanna is a variation of Anna (Roman Holiday) or Sabrina, full of fun and laughter, but she also represents a departure from those genteel characters. Scenes where it's apparent she's nude under the covers--unheard of for Audrey Hepburn, right? And her playing an adulterous woman who humiliates her husband? Albert Finney does well as Mark, and his manners of speech range from the comical Bogart-like voice during their premarital trek to a tired weariness.

Two For The Road is also the last movie Hepburn did with director Stanley Donen (Funny Face, Charade). And upon a personal request from Hepburn, Henry Mancini does another winning theme song, fittingly sweet yet nostalgic. It sets a precedent for Audrey Hepburn, away from the innocent virgin roles of before. Despite this being an analysis of a marriage going sour, with moments of frustration and pain, there are moments of fun, and showing how despite changes, maybe being able to accept things as happened and moving with the future will save a rocky marriage such as the Wallaces. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Great Version of the GREATEST MOVIE MUSICAL EVER
First of all, Singin' In The Rain (SITR) is the greatest movie musical ever and ranks in the top ten for all-time greatest movies of any kind. This DVD set really does justice to the film.

To start, the extra features are fun and informative; I especially liked the clips from movies that first featured the songs from SITR. I also enjoyed seeing Debbie Reynolds looking so good 50 years after filming (she narrates the "Making of..." piece).

Moving on to the film itself, the transfer to digital medum was done very well. The picture is great (especially since I started using an S-video connection from DVD player to TV) and the sound is fantastic. The music was apparently digitized from a pristine original or something (I am not too clear on the technical details). Whatever the MGM folks did, it worked like a charm! The movie looks and sounds beautiful, even compared to the new print currently playing in movie theaters.

I should add that my elder son has been a big SITR fan since he was 2 years old. We used to play a game in which he was Gene Kelly and I was Donald O'Connor. He would get upset if I didn't call him Gene for the hours the game went on. He is currently taking tap-dancing lessons, in no small part due to the influence of Gene Kelly in SITR as well as other movies (e.g. Anchors Aweigh, On The Town, and American In Paris).

In short, this DVD is a wonderful addition to any movie collection. ... Read more

Description

Indiscreet:Romance is in the air when a dashing diplomat (Cary Grant) is introduced to a beautiful and famous actress (Ingrid Bergman).The fact that he's married doesn't stop the lovestruck pair from falling into a passionate affair.But it turns out that the actress isn't the only one with a talent for role-playing- her married lover is actually a single playboy with no intentions of settling down.When his secret is revealed, she decides to give her Romeo a taste of his own medicine - and discovers it's just what the love doctor ordered. That Touch of Mink:Love arrives with a splash when a handsome and eligible tycoon (Cary Grant) and a beautiful working woman (Doris Day) meet over a curbside mud puddle.He's enchanted by her small town ways; she's captivated by his romantic, debonair manner.But when it comes to marriage, they have decidedly different views - she wants it and he doesn't!What ensues is a game of cat-and-mouse as each tries to win the other - with hilarious and heartwarming results. ... Read more