5x2 TH!NKFilm Movie   ••½ Picture/Sound   ••••½ Extras   ••½

Two for the Road 20th Century Fox Movie   •••• Picture/Sound   ••••½ Extras   ••••

Both films open with an unhappy couple on the verge of divorce and then rake over the past, attempting to explain what went wrong. In 5x2, director François Ozon takes us back chronologically through five episodic sequences that each reveal more about the characters and the major incidents in their relationship.

In the stylish and bittersweet Two for the Road (1967), director Stanley Donen constantly moves Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney back and forth over different eras of their relationship. The jumps are triggered by echoing situations and held together by Henry Mancini's soulful score. As Donen puts it in his commentary, "everything is the present, since the pair carry their histories with them." And that's the source of their problem.

Each picture has excellent contrast, with deep blacks, brilliant whites, rich colors, and generally crisp and detailed images. Sound is clear and stays in the front channels. Extras for 5x2 include behind-the-scenes footage and 15 minutes of involving deleted scenes. Road's only extra, apart from a restoration demonstration, is the director's commentary, but Donen always draws your attention to subtle cinematic points. 5x2: [R] French (with English subtitles), Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo; letterboxed (1.85:1) and anamorphic widescreen; dual layer. Road: [NR] English, Dolby Digital stereo and 2-channel mono; French and Spanish, Dolby Digital 2-channel mono; letterboxed (2.35:1) and anamorphic widescreen; dual layer.