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24 out of 27 people found the following review useful: Boats?... Making Boats?... Well that'd be alright, wouldn't it?, 30 December 2002 Author: Donal from South East England
I remember catching this film on a C4 screening a year ago and I was completely blown away by the whole thing. I thought the film managed to represent such a diversity of genres; the supernatural, a love story, the intrigue of crime, and so many more.I was hooked on the whole thing after a minute or so and was really concerned about the characters. It made me feel terrified at one second for Jimmy, and then had me laughing away at the gangsters in the next... and all the time I had my fingers crossed that things would work out for Jimbo!Heath Ledger and Rose Bryne are superb, Bryan Brown is absolute quality and had me creasing up, along with David Field, who was funny as well as being an evil git.Since I saw this film I managed to order it on DVD and as a result, every person I show it to has been hooked in much the same way.This film is perfect for a Sunday afternoon or a lazy evening, and it's one that you can really appreciate with your mates around.
26 out of 32 people found the following review useful: The Blackest of Humour, 16 November 1999 Author: Kate Hynes from Brisbane, Australia
This hillarious film captures the Australian personality perfectly. From Bryan Brown in his Hawiian Shirts and thongs to Blue Monaros and boys (Heath Ledger) too busy chasing girls to worry about their life, this film is wonderful. There are no Koala Bears or Boomerangs in sight in a lame attempt to convince foreign audiences that Australia is a great place with loads of character. It does what it does and says what it says which is just about as Australian as it gets. If you don't get the humour in this film you should go back to watching episodes of "Funniest Home Videos" as the humour must obviously be beyond you.
16 out of 17 people found the following review useful: It has energy to burn!, 15 August 2005 Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.
Jimmy (Heath Ledger) is given a simple job by Pando (Bryan Brown) a underworld kingpin to deliver money to a particular address, but when no one answers the door Jimmy decides to take a dip at the beach to pass some time, but he notices that his clothes on the sand have been messed up and the 10 grand is gone. Jimmy rings Pando to tell him the problem, but he doesn't want to hear it. Pando and his boys try their best to locate Jimmy, meaning no more Jimmy if they get their hands on him. So now Jimmy goes into hiding to organise a bank robbery to get Pando's money back. Also throughout this mess he meets the innocently sweet Alex (Rose Byrne) and together they're in for one hell of a ride through Sydney's King Cross."Two Hands" is simply an engrossing pick-me-up film that's brisk, exhilarating and incredibly fresh. What you got here is pretty much an urban gangster film with a seedy backdrop and in-your-face violence… what, how's that fresh you ask? Well, because it takes us into the underworld where the Australian culture shines with criminals wearing thongs (flip flops) and footy shorts, done up cars and a can of beer in the hand… and don't forgot the Australian sense of humour, dry and sarcastic. You can say it owes a lot to the likes of "Pulp Fiction", "Goodfellas" (a fave of mine) and "Lock, stock and two smoking barrels" for its inspiration, but for me it still stands on its own. The film has real mixture of light-hearted moments, but also a mean streak to it with some unexpected shocks and black humour that can actually be disturbing. You just don't know what's coming and it has a nice touch of snappy irony (especially the ending) and great timing with its humour. One scene involving a bank robbery will have you in stitches, I guarantee you. The plot's outline is really a coming to age story (or about the road not taken), with a punching love tale added and then the gangster element to finish it off. Most of the sub-plots were cleverly constructed and interlocked, well maybe it could've gone without the supernatural element involving Jimmy's dead brother, but in the overall context the diverse plot seems to all click together. Intense, natural and crisp dialogue filled the outrageously colourful script, with quick jabs of Aussie slang/twang - I'm fair dinkum! What truly made the film was that of Bryan Brown's performance of Pando. He just gave his character such a deviously charismatic/nasty persona that when he wasn't on screen his presence was still felt. He gave his character two sides - one being a prick, but the other side is such a good bloke. A young Rose Byrne glows with her nervously sweet/quirky character Alex. She looked radially gorgeous and added a bubbly personality. Then you got Heath Ledger who fit's the buck as the naive Jimmy. Great supporting cast involved with the likes of Susie Porter, Tom Long, David Field, Steve Vidler and Steve Le Marquand. Such raw performances are achieved and from that you get riveting, fun and believable characters. Pumping rock soundtrack bursting at the seams with the likes of Powderfinger and Alex Lloyd provide a cool vibe. Also being shot on location in Sydney's King Cross really helped it stick out by holding a life of its own and showing the Australian way of life. Gliding camera tricks captured the city's backdrop superbly, especially the piercing nightlife. This was a film that when it ended I was totally satisfied with what I got. Overall, a slickly paced crime thriller that achieves what it intended to do... a fun, clever and crazy roller coaster ride of thrills and excitement.I say, it's a successful Aussie take on "Lock, Stock and Two smoking barrels" by director/writer Gregor Jordan in his debut film. If you come across it, don't hesitate to it give it a go.
19 out of 23 people found the following review useful: American Gangsters wear Armani, Aussies Crims where shorts, 1 June 2005 Author: flingebunt from Harbin, China
The inspiration for this film was the fact that American Gangsters are well dresses, but the Aussies, well when you might kill a guy as soon as look at the blighter, then you can dress as badly as you want and people won't criticize you.Jimmy is fighter, an illegal boxer, sometimes bouncer and is offered work by Pando, the local gangster boss in the cross (That is, Australia's notorious Kings Cross District, not the Cross of London fame as many a British backpacker finds out the hard way).Due to feelings of love he stuffs up a job, loses a lot of money and has to get it to Pando before Pando and his heavies can kill him.Lots of dark humour, interesting action, revelations about the Australia's underside and human nature. It is very centred in the Australian nature and explores the nature of Australian criminals (versus the American and British ones).One problem is that each of the elements of the story don't have enough substance and depth, but it is a painting with broad strokes that covers a lot of area not covered previously, so as an overall package it is worthwhile.Team it up with "Chopper" and "Dirty Deeds" for your Aussie Crime fest or "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Miller's Crossing" for an International falling short of the criminal gangs fest.By the way, Bryan Brown is a great actor who has just done a huge number of really bad movies. Here is one of his great movies.
15 out of 16 people found the following review useful: Quirky Aussie Gem, 10 April 2004 Author: MissTRious from m/s Seven Seas Mariner
"Two Hands" is a good addition to the Australian Film Catalogue.It is that curious mix of real life, surreal life, comedy, tragedy and love the Australians have developed on their own.Heath Ledger is basically a good if naive guy. Wanting to get on he falls in with a local "Big" Man Pando (Bryan Brown). But at the very moment he sets a first toe on the dark path to crime he meets Alex (Rose Byrne). Here is the cause of the error to change his life in ways unexpected. After getting on the wrong side of Pando accidentally, things get very bad very quickly and if not for a little otherworldly help this would have been a short sad film. Yes, Jimmy learns a few lessons in life and no one escapes uninjured in one way or another but at the end of it has a feel good feel to it. Although there is a lawless theme through the story, it is not glorified and helps to show how destructive crime can be on normal lives.Heath Ledger is excellent as Jimmy, innocent and savvy at the same time, Rose is hypnotic as Alex and Bryan is marvellous as usual. This is a small ensemble of characters are believable and I found myself caring about the good guys and disliking the baddies.This DVD is usually in the cheap aisle so I would recommend adding it too your DVD collection, it would be money well spent.8 out of 10
19 out of 24 people found the following review useful: the evolution of australian film, 13 August 2001 Author: cecelia (saint_cecil) from perth, australia
`5 Years ago if you were to watch an Australian film you would expect to see crocodile hunters, stories of war, drag queens, kangaroos and koalas, and Australians in general being represented as nitwits living off the land, saying words like ‘cobber' and generally being the classic underdog.Luckily Australian film has evolved over the last couple years and is churning out modern day ‘classics' such as Blackrock, Moulin Rouge, Chopper, Yolngu Boy and Sample People.In this evolution of film we also find Two Hands.Set in Sydney's Kings Cross, Two Hands is a black comedy about crime and survival in the rough end of town. Pando, played by Bryan Brown, is a Sydney Mob boss. He's the king of organised crime wearing thongs, carrying a stubby and helping his son with his origami. He's vicious, but real. As are his ‘mob', holding gun's to someone's head in one scene and then playing boardgames in the next. They are well respected and if they ask you for a favour, you don't say no.Enter Jimmy, played by Heath Ledger. Jimmy is your average Aussie guy in his early twenties. He's a good guy who wants to make a name for himself without getting on anyone's bad side, so when Pando asks Jimmy to deliver $10,000, Jimmy accepts.Things start to get exciting when 2 teenagers manage to steal the money while Jimmy is at the beach. So now Jimmy is $10,000 in dept to a major mob boss. From here we start to see all the interconnecting stories with Jimmy and his attempt at a bank robbery to recover the money, Jimmy and Alex (the love interest, played by Rose Byrne), Pando trying to find Jimmy and, of course, the two teenagers and their new found prosperity. The concept is deepened by the narrator, Jimmy's dead brother, Michael, who was killed by Pando and his gang years earlier.In the end all the storylines connected really well with a surprise twist to shock and stun the audience. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
13 out of 14 people found the following review useful: Remarkably, entertaining film, 15 December 2004 Author: Journo_Bouy from Northampton, England
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
It was late at night and i was channel hopping when BBC2 showed this film. I saw it from the very beginning and kept thinking oh i will stop now and go to bed. This film was engaging and surprisingly dark in humour. I think that unlike some peoples comments, this film has the unique dark humour aspect and unrealistic scenario that makes it impossible for people to think that this can really happen. It is a feel good humorous film where the out-of-luck Ledger wins the girl and the wronged get revenge. This is no more different from Westerns where the bad guys get killed by the good guy who drifts into the night with his girl. This was truly good and i endeavor to add this to my large collection of films shortly. I loved it. It was a remarkably, entertaining film.
14 out of 16 people found the following review useful: Lets hope director Jordan has more tales up his sleeve to tell., 26 January 2002 Author: mifunesamurai from Australia
Jordan takes us into the seedy crime side of Sydney, Australia, following the desperate attempt of nineteen year old Jimmy, (Heath Ledger), who bundles a job for a local gangster and needs to make amend before they get to him. The gangsters, (led by Bryan Brown), are a menacing bunch with a humorous streak in them. That's what makes the film work, because we always view gangsters as a rough bunch out to screw you badly. But this mob tickle your funny bone as well. A clever structured script by Jordan has characters crossing paths and getting caught in the web plot.
10 out of 11 people found the following review useful: The down-underworld, 25 September 2003 Author: s3160292 from Canberra, Australia
A refreshing black comedy starring some of Australia's finest. In the same way that Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels captured the funny side of London gangsters, Two Hands rips through the Sydney underworld. It wouldn't be so funny if it wasn't so close to the bone.An Australian classic. If Australia could pull more rabbits like this out its hat it might actually have a film industry worth keeping an eye on.
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Stylish, darkly comic and very enjoyable – could have done with more substance though, 18 February 2002 Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK
Wannabe Jimmy gets given a simple delivery job to do for local mobster Pando. When he inevitable messes it up and loses $10K he goes on the run and loins a bank job to try and get the money back. Under the watchful eye of his brother, who has dug himself up from hell to see if Jimmy can learn from his mistake, Jimmy stumbles through a series of misadventures to get to safety.This is very enjoyable - one of the many modern black comedies that use small time criminals as the starting points of violently funny stories. Here the film follows the hapless Jimmy as he gets himself into and out of hot water of the criminal type. The story is daft - lets be honest! It starts well but gets pretty stretched after we see the scene from the start of the film again, and the tidy conclusion is just very unlikely. However it's all done with such style and wit that you don't really mind. The characters link together tidily and the story is very enjoyable.The director kicks Australian cinema in the ass by delivering a very stylish package, from the intense scenes of sudden violence, the really visually clever credit sequence right down to the great soundtrack and camera work, this is a stylish feast. The only problem with this is that it highlights the weaknesses of the story.Heath Ledger is really good and deservedly is a rising star in Hollywood. Bryan Brown is really great and his mob is very funny - barely competent at best, but dealing out violence without a second though. However the real star is the director. Vidler as Jimmy's brother is OK, but his philosophising gets a little tired after a while (but his failed redemption makes sense). Overall it has plenty of weaknesses, but it also has much to enjoy - very stylish, very funny in a dark way and very enjoyable for those that like the current band of `Lock, Stock…..' films.
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