A Two-Hander is a film with co-leads. I'm looking for your favorite 5 where...
A) The two leads are around the height of the popularity, to the point where the film would be marketed on the promise of these two working together. (Think Meryl Streep alongside Daniel Day-Lewis). While Silence of the Lambs stars two Oscar winners, they weren't nearly as popular at the time of the film's release.
B) These two leads stand well in front of a larger ensemble, so while you can say that Hanks and Ryan helped sell You Got Mail, you can't give all the credit for Ocean's 11 to Clooney and Pitt.
C) Your praise of the film is because of the interplay between the two leads FIRST. So while Gravity has Bullock and Clooney, I wouldn't say they were my main reason for viewing the film. Same with Fight Club, which was as much about Fincher as Norton and Pitt.
1. Charade - Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. The very definition of what I'm talking about.
2. Heat - Pacino vs. De Niro. Felt like I was waiting my whole life for that diner scene.
3. Crimson Tide - This has a lot going on, but everything revolves around the battle of wills between Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington, both working at the top of their craft.
4. The Remains of the Day - There are a number of good supporting performances, but they all feel like cameos compared to the interaction between Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Even in their scenes apart you can see each thinking long and hard about the other.
5. El Dorado - Some of John Wayne's most interesting films are the ones where he has to share the screen with a star of equal stature. I debated Liberty Valance, but between John Ford and the rich ensemble, it's hard to say that film rests solely with Wayne and James Stewart. Rooster Cogburn (which inspired this list) is a clear example of what I'm talking about. It pairs Wayne with Katharine Hepburn. That's what you get - those two bantering - and nothing more. However, there's something magical about Robert Mitchum working with Wayne. Two men with a similar skill set, doing a professional job together. It's a major reason why I prefer El Dorado to Rio Bravo
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The African Queen - I love this movie, but with each viewing the two-hander playbook becomes more transparent.
All the President's Men - Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman's acting styles compliment each other nicely, but ultimately the story outshines the leads.
Ball of Fire - Arguably more star focused than the similar Lady Eve or His Girl Friday. Still it's hard to not share credit with the extensive supporting cast.
Holiday Inn - Cinema's greatest dancer and it's greatest singer, but I love the concept too.
Rain Man - This was a turning point for Tom Cruise, and I'm not sure what I'll think of Hoffman's method performance today.
Romancing the Stone - I think Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas were already stars, but this was my introduction to them. Plus Robert Zemeckis and Danny DeVito contribute a lot.