"Twin Town" is a wannabe "Trainspotting" with all the right elements to be hip and fast and irreverent but none of the character and substance it needs to be engaging or even credible. Although the right marketing will give this film a life of sorts at the boxoffice, weak word-of-mouth will definitely limit its potential.
The story takes place in the small Welsh town of Swansea, where everyone talks in endearing guttural accents and swears constantly. A harmless neighborly squabble begins between the town's uncrowned king and a family of trailer-dwelling no-goods, the worst of whom are the so-called "Twins", Jeremy and Julian (Rhys and Llyr Ifans).
When the squabble gets serious, two corrupt cops get involved and the whole thing escalates -- from a beheaded poodle to an all-out massacre of both families with the idiot, crime-happy twins doing the worst violence in a cheerfully imaginative way.
Despite the funky, feel-good pop tunes, bright colors and excellent, crystal-sharp photography by John Matthieson, it can't compensate for conventional directing by Kevin Allen, cliched dialogue and a meandering plot supplied by Paul Durden and Allen.
Worst of all, the audience is offered no character to sympathize or identify with. The heroes are presumably the underdog twins, but they prove to have nothing to their characters beyond their car stealing, dope smoking, stupid conversations and the fun they bring to killing dogs and dog owners.
TWIN TOWN
A Figment Films production
of a Kevin Allen film
Director Kevin Allen
Producer Peter MacAleese
Writers Kevin Allen, Paul Durden
Executive producers Andrew MacDonald,
Danny Boyle
Director of photography John Matthieson
Production designer Pat Campbell
Editor Oral Norrie Ottey
Music Mark Thomas
Costume designer Rachael Fleming
Color/stereo
Cast:
Terry Dougray Scott
Greyo Dorien Thomas
Jeremy Rhys Ifans
Julian Llyr Ifans
Bryn William Thomas
Fatty Huw Ceredig
Lucy Sue Roderick
Bonny Jenny Evans
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The story takes place in the small Welsh town of Swansea, where everyone talks in endearing guttural accents and swears constantly. A harmless neighborly squabble begins between the town's uncrowned king and a family of trailer-dwelling no-goods, the worst of whom are the so-called "Twins", Jeremy and Julian (Rhys and Llyr Ifans).
When the squabble gets serious, two corrupt cops get involved and the whole thing escalates -- from a beheaded poodle to an all-out massacre of both families with the idiot, crime-happy twins doing the worst violence in a cheerfully imaginative way.
Despite the funky, feel-good pop tunes, bright colors and excellent, crystal-sharp photography by John Matthieson, it can't compensate for conventional directing by Kevin Allen, cliched dialogue and a meandering plot supplied by Paul Durden and Allen.
Worst of all, the audience is offered no character to sympathize or identify with. The heroes are presumably the underdog twins, but they prove to have nothing to their characters beyond their car stealing, dope smoking, stupid conversations and the fun they bring to killing dogs and dog owners.
TWIN TOWN
A Figment Films production
of a Kevin Allen film
Director Kevin Allen
Producer Peter MacAleese
Writers Kevin Allen, Paul Durden
Executive producers Andrew MacDonald,
Danny Boyle
Director of photography John Matthieson
Production designer Pat Campbell
Editor Oral Norrie Ottey
Music Mark Thomas
Costume designer Rachael Fleming
Color/stereo
Cast:
Terry Dougray Scott
Greyo Dorien Thomas
Jeremy Rhys Ifans
Julian Llyr Ifans
Bryn William Thomas
Fatty Huw Ceredig
Lucy Sue Roderick
Bonny Jenny Evans
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/19/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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