Two Friends (2015 film)
Two Friends () is a 2015 French romantic dramedy film directed by Louis Garrel in his feature debut, and co-written by Garrel and Christophe Honoré. The film is loosely based on the play "The Moods of Marianne" by Alfred de Musset. It was selected to screen in the International Critics' Week section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Plot. Mona, a prisoner on work release, meets Clément, a shy actor. Desperate to impress Mona, Clément recruits his extroverted friend, Abel, to help. When Mona becomes more interested in Abel, it sets off a conflict between the  two friends. Meanwhile, Mona attempts to keep her past hidden. Release. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, during the International Critics' Week, on 18 May 2015. It was nominated for two awards, including the Golden Camera award. It was first released in French theaters on 23 September 2015. Reception. Box office. "Two Friends" grossed $0 in North America and $125,812 worldwide, against a production budget of about $3.3 million. Critical response. On French review aggregator AlloCiné, the film holds an average rating of 3.6 out of 5, based on 18 critic's  reviews. Peter Debruge of "Variety" wrote that the film captures "a sense of genuine emotion many directors never accomplish in their entire careers". Jordan Mintzer of "The Hollywood Reporter" called it "a charming if not entirely convincing feature debut". Jonathan Romney at Screen Daily says it was "Elegantly shot, the whole thing nevertheless seems at once thin and over-cooked: Philippe Sarde's lush orchestral score feels excess to requirements, given the intimate, ultimately claustrophobic scale of the drama." Mubi writes, "The latest filmmaker in the Garrel dynasty, Philippe’s son Louis picks up the camera for this, his debut  feature as writer-director. Co-written with his regular collaborator Christophe Honoré, "Two Friends" is a terrific 21st-century spin on the classic—and yes, French—love-triangle drama."