Two Tickets to Greece

Set against ethereal shots of the Greek coastline, Marc Fitoussi’s Two Tickets to Greece is a meditative study of mid-life female friendship. Single mother Blandine (Olivia Côte) is experiencing a deep sense of ennui. Her son (Alexandre Desrousseaux) has left for university and she spends her free time masochistically scrolling through her ex-husband’s Facebook, bombarded with images of his seemingly idyllic life with a woman half his age. An unexpected blast from the past in the form of Magalie (Laure Calamy), Blandine’s childhood best friend and id to her superego, sets off a chain of events that force her to reassess her increasingly conservative self-preservation. Inflexible Blandine and chaotic Magalie form a traditional odd couple pairing, forced to travel to Greece together thanks to the former’s scheming son.

At first glance, Magalie borders on caricature, a manic pixie dream girl turned up to 11. But as the film progresses, it becomes clear that her free-spiritedness is symbolic rather than performative. The feature sensitively addresses misconceptions about ageing. Magalie routinely challenges Blandine’s assumption that her transition into middle age makes her invaluable to society, encouraging her to explore her sexuality in a constructive manner. Meanwhile, the arrival of the vivacious Bijou (the always exemplary Kristin Scott Thomas in yet another French-language flick) serves as a welcome antidote to Blandine’s inculcation that a fulfilling sex life is reserved for the young.

With the continued propagation of ageism – and the inherently misogynistic ideation therein – in the film industry, Two Tickets to Greece’s message is an undeniably radical one. Rather than adhere to the familiar trope of a holiday romance igniting a woman’s lust for life (see: Shirley Valentine), it’s Magalie who reinvigorates the once curmudgeonly Blandine. Côte and Calamy are outstanding in their respective roles, their chemistry and infectious interplay imbuing the story with an authenticity that delights as well as probes.

A refreshing take on the odd-couple road movie, the movie is positive without being overly sentimental or clichéd. Its depiction of female friendship free from envy and male interlopers is inspiring. Indeed, English-language cinema could learn a thing or two from films such as Two Tickets to Greece.

Antonia Georgiou

Two Tickets to Greece is released nationwide on 17^th May 2024.

Watch the trailer for Two Tickets to Greece here: