southwest3210-156-400970 The first thing that came to mind was David Lynch, wedded to a heartwarming feel. Understated, yes, but oh so heartwarming. A little dash of the 1930's "Freaks" for good measure, in a good way.The academy awards are such bunk(crap). A movie off the radar like this is essentially incommunicado per the awards, yet sitcom-like drivel like "Terms of Endearment", "Kramer vs. Kramer", and such win best picture. Forget awards. This movie rises above the standard issue formula that rings true for the academy, like so many "Indy Movies" do. I like to think of the lot of understated Indy movies as above and beyond what radar we typically place our "understanding" of movies in. Twin Falls goes far beyond those expectations. Redefines them.Rent the DVD when you want(need) to go beyond the standard issue Hollywood "drivel".

Michael O'Keefe Haunting, taut and dark is this story of conjoined twins played by real life identical twins Michael and Mark Polish. Michael directs and shares writing credit with Mark. These shy conjoined twins temporarily are living in a run down hotel as they summon the courage to reunite with their estranged mother(Lesley Ann Warren). A homeless hooker named Penny(Michele Hick)finds herself befriending the Falls brothers. They wander outside the apartment to attend a Halloween party with Penny pretending to be wearing a "Siamese Twin" costume. Blake(Mark Polish)tends to his sick brother Francis(Michael Polish)and tries to interpret his mixed feelings toward the thought of losing his sibling. Then to complicate matters more is the relationship developing between himself and Penny. Albeit a strange story, it is well acted. Others in the cast: Patrick Bauchau, Garrett Morris, William Katt and Teresa Hill.

lightbearer13 Perhaps only twins like the Polish brothers could have made the quintessential work of art about conjoined twins--one that shows the uniqueness and depth of this bond, while universally hinting at how deeply love is rooted in our very flesh. Often the attempts to delve into these relationships (of conjoined or even identical twins) has been produced by non-twins and has assumed some kind of pathology--something either incestuous, or morbidly dependent. One thinks immediately of Cronenberg's Dead Ringers. What the Polish brothers have given us is nothing short of miraculous, utterly human and as poignant as anything I have ever experienced.

Rogue-32 Saw the film last night on cable and decided to wait until today, October 30th, to post a review, because it happens to be Mark and Michael's birthday. Hope they've been having a decent one, as they deserve.I've been into the Polish twins since I saw Jackpot and Northfork a couple of years ago, and I'd been waiting to see this film since it was released. I was not disappointed. The subject matter is more than tricky, and it's handled with a truly impressive balance of seriousness and humor; the humor does not come at the expense of the story but rather is intrinsic to Francis' and Blake's lives, as they are seen dealing with their reality of being conjoined from birth. The catalyst of the story, the hooker played by Michele Hicks (who was also with them in Northfork) proves to be the perfect foil for the twins. One of the best scenes is the one where she takes them to a Halloween costume party - the one night of the year, she says, where they can "be normal." By the end of the movie, the seriousness of the situation comes to the fore, and it's handled beautifully, eloquently and with exactly the proper amount of emotion and just the right touch of Scorpionic restraint, so it never becomes maudlin. Not quite a perfect film - it could have been a little shorter, but a brilliant, original, daring and deeply felt project nonetheless.IMDb rating - 8 (equivalent to a low ***1/2)