Two Women is a story about how there is no one way to be a woman, mother, lover, friend, or a human being. On the surface that kind of seems like a general statement. We should all know that. But we don’t know that. We are so quick to judge what women do in their lives, especially when they’re mothers. They’re supposed to set an example and be a certain way, without regard to the things that are happening in their lives, with their partners, or inside of their own brains. That’s what we see with Violette and Florence Two Women.
Both of these women are mothers in very different stages of their lives. But they strike up a friendship after a very awkward conversation where Violette cautiously brings up her concerns about Florence’s husband and her having loud sex that she can hear from her apartment. Florence hasn’t been doing anything with her husband. And the implication that sex is coming from her apartment leads her to re-examine her life, the pleasures that she wants, and her mental health as a whole.
As Florence starts unraveling, that’s where we see Violette start exploring what she wants. Like Florence, she’s a mother but a new one at that. Her husband is consistently gone and she feels like she’s lost herself. That feeling of emptiness is filled by Violette following in Florence’s footsteps when it comes to unraveling. But this exploration of self doesn’t lead her down the same path as Florence. Violette finds herself and Florence comes to the realization that she likes who she is but can’t be that person where she is. Both different journeys, both worth telling.
Two Women is, as cheesy as it sounds, an unapologetic look at how we lose ourselves. We lose ourselves in other people’s desires, expectations of motherhood, and the pressures we put on ourselves. And Two Women stands out because it had these two women confront the ugly truth of who they were and took a step past that realization. In general, movies tend to steer clear of that and slap a redemption arc in there. But what if there is no redemption? What if this is just who you are? And what if you’re okay with it? That’s why Two Women is more realistic when it comes to the human condition.
This movie also had an emphasis on empathy while pointing out the dangers of judgment. Just because I lead my life one way, doesn’t make your life any less worthy. And as long as we’re not hurting anyone, it’s nobody’s business what someone else does. It’s when the judgment comes in from nosy neighbors, that person at the homeowners association, or just your own family that I have a problem with. That’s when it hurts. That’s when people should shut up. And that’s where I feel like Two Women poses the question to the one judging of: who instilled those morals within you and why do you carry them to judge others?
Two Women made it its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
