THE TWO OF US - A BEATLES FILM

Arguments happen between people no matter who you are, where you are, or how you are. Yet the biggest problem with arguments isn't always necessarily the arguments themselves -- it's how you over come them. As seen in the following 89 minute movie made in the year, 2000. It was Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg; and Starred: Aidan Quinn with Jared Harris.


Two of Us


THE STORY:
Me and you haven't seen eye to eye for quite some time now, John (Jared Harris). Especially since we had that bit of bother after the band broke up. But recently though I've been thinking that maybe we should... you know... 'bury the hatchet' so to speak. Just to give our past collaboration some sort of closure.

So what do you say, my friend? Will you open up and tell me what you've been doing over these past few years? Or will you be all Lennon-like and brush me to one side like Ringo's infamous side-parting?

Come on, John. Say something to me, will ya! After all it is me your talking to, isn't it? Your old pal Paul McCartney (Aidan Quinn). Plus I'm sure our fans would love to see us get back together again sooner or later!

Then again, that's most probably why what next transpires all loves me do when you say to me, 'Shut the f*ck up Paul and pass me the pot!'. As Yoko and Linda are discussed - a quick trip outside is a must - a battle of wits goes all fetal - and at the end of the day, hands up everyone who want's to see another Beatle?

THE REVIEW:

Essentially 'The Two Of Us' is a very engrossing reinterpretation of what happened between John Lennon and Paul McCartney when they finally decided to patch up their differences. Now for those of you not in the know, after the Beatles split up in 1970 most of the members went their separate ways, and this resulted in a fairly overt battle in the press between Paul and John. Years later's though -- approximately five to six years later -- Paul thought he'd try to put a stop to this spat by visiting John and Yoko with his wife Linda.

Thankfully, it worked. And despite sometime thereafter John saying to Paul not to be so overeager on visiting him, as push comes to shove Lennon and McCartney eventually managed to see eye to eye after all these years.

Well. Sort of. 

Now this point brings me quite nicely onto how this dramatization came about. On the 24th of April, 1976, the producer of 'Saturday Night Live', Lorne Michaels, went on-air and offered the Beatles $3000 if they they would perform on his live television show. Coincidentally this was on the same night Paul visited John -- and coincidentally John told this story in one of his many television interviews, thus inspiring the development of this flick.

And my God, what a good job the makers of this tale did with it too. As I'm not kidding you, dear reader, from my point of view this is one hell of a great movie for anyone who loves kitchen sink dramas, theatrical based productions, plus of course, the Beatles themselves.

You see, apart from those few occasions where the two actors playing John and Paul strained their Liverpudlian accents -- sorry Quinn and Harris -- by in large this 'two man' three act play comes across very much like a Beatles fan's wet dream. Of course 'Act One' is the basic set-up to the initial premise -- Hello John. Hello Paul. Where as 'Act Two' shows us the many different aspects of their evolving personality's -- I love you. I hate you. Come on, lets be friend. And finally 'Act Three' takes our two main characters out of  their comfort zone, and does so with a personal yet warming manner that literally set's this film apart from many other 'theatrical accounts' I care not to mention.

Well, as I said before, in my eyes this piece is like every Beatles fan's wet dream. Whenever the boys talk about their respective partners you can't help but feel for them. Whenever the boys talk about the fab four you're dying to hear more. And whenever the boys talk about the parallels between their two lives the end result is pure bliss in a can. Honestly, folks. This film was so good to spend some time with another problem I had with it was that I wished it was longer. Longer and more... errr... more. Especially since its subject matter and the personal tone it posses is right up my alley.

Or should that be lane? Penny lane.

Anyway. By now I'm sure you know my feelings towards this brilliant-brilliant film. So let us now sit back, relax, and check out the following filmic-facts. (1) 'VH1' first televised this production in America on the 1st of February, 2000. (2) Loosely translated, this project was entitled 'A Legendary Meeting' in Argentina; 'Everything Between Us' in Brazil; and 'Lennon's Apartment' in Spain. (3) That nice English chap who directed this film, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, also directed the Beatles 1970 ill-fated documentary, 'Let It Be'. (4) Whilst the Beatles historian Martin Lewis served as this productions technical adviser, the actual screenplay was written by the longtime Beatles fan, Mark Stanfield. (5) You might have noticed that this movie claimed it took place in April, 1976, but in that scene where John and Paul went outside into Central Park you could tell it was obviously recorded sometime in autumn. (6) John Lennon's 'chocolate reference' was the same one he made during the Beatles song, 'Revolution 9', and of course was an in-joke between him and Paul. (7) In an interview he gave in 2004, Aiden Quinn, who played Paul McCartney in this piece, said to a journalist, 'Just after I finished the film I went on holiday and Paul McCartney was staying at the same place. I met him and we became quite friendly. Later, he saw the film and fortunately he liked it. It would have been terrible if he'd hated it'. (8) After this drama sat down to meditate, Aiden Quinn starred in the television series, 'Night Visions'; where as Jared Harris starred in the historical romance, 'Shadow Magic'.

Overall I'd say 'The Two Of Us' is a great film for anyone who would love to know a little bit more about two members of the fab four. Although it isn't one hundred percent historically accurate, what it is, is a very warming, personal, and revealing portrait of two of the best musicians in recording history. Don't you agree, you two scouse gits?

Nuff said.

THE RATING: A