An unusual and fascinating tale about the lives of conjoined twins Frances and Blake Falls. Both know that Frances is sick and near death, and they have resolved to die together. But an unexpected romance intervenes, as Blake falls in love with Penny, a prostitute who, after her initial revulsion, befriends them both and helps them experience a bit of what life has to offer. This movie is a classic example of people desperately in need of love who enter each other's lives.
I found myself totally wrapped up in this story. It is completely unique - like nothing I have ever seen before. It features strong performances from Michael and Mark Polish as the Falls brothers (Michael also directed, and the brothers together wrote the screenplay) and a marvellous performance by Michele Hicks, in her first major role, as Penny. Hicks exudes compassion and anyone who watches this movie will be completely taken with her. The complexity of the relationship between conjoined twins is sensitively explored, particularly as Frances becomes jealous as he watches Blake's romance with Penny grow.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
I was somewhat put off by what I thought was a weak ending to what had been a superb movie. Setting aside the question of whether it is physically possible to separate conjoined twins in adulthood (I'm not a doctor) I did nevertheless find myself wondering about the psychological impact, and the movie doesn't really address that issue in any detail. It simply happens, and a few minutes later the movie ends. Oh, there's some sensitive sharing between Blake and Penny, but it left me flat. In fact, the entire last 15 minutes or so seemed strangely disconnected from the rest of the movie and I found myself asking, "How did we get here from there?"
Still, this is a very good movie that rates an 8/10.
I found myself totally wrapped up in this story. It is completely unique - like nothing I have ever seen before. It features strong performances from Michael and Mark Polish as the Falls brothers (Michael also directed, and the brothers together wrote the screenplay) and a marvellous performance by Michele Hicks, in her first major role, as Penny. Hicks exudes compassion and anyone who watches this movie will be completely taken with her. The complexity of the relationship between conjoined twins is sensitively explored, particularly as Frances becomes jealous as he watches Blake's romance with Penny grow.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
I was somewhat put off by what I thought was a weak ending to what had been a superb movie. Setting aside the question of whether it is physically possible to separate conjoined twins in adulthood (I'm not a doctor) I did nevertheless find myself wondering about the psychological impact, and the movie doesn't really address that issue in any detail. It simply happens, and a few minutes later the movie ends. Oh, there's some sensitive sharing between Blake and Penny, but it left me flat. In fact, the entire last 15 minutes or so seemed strangely disconnected from the rest of the movie and I found myself asking, "How did we get here from there?"
Still, this is a very good movie that rates an 8/10.