Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36096 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-11-29
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Running time: 110 minutes

From Amazon.com
A movie about conjoined (or "Siamese") twins and a prostitute sounds like a bad joke or a sleazy porn flick, but Twin Falls Idaho is actually an eerie, atmospheric story about love and mutual dependence. Penny (Michele Hicks) gets called to a dingy hotel room where she discovers Blake and Francis Falls (twin brothers Mark and Michael Polish). When they go into the bathroom to get her a glass of water, she flees--but forgets her purse. When she returns, Blake and Francis don't get angry; they accept her fear and horror with sad resignation. Their vulnerability draws Penny into their lives, as she learns that the illness of one twin threatens the lives of both. Twin Falls Idaho moves slowly, but the pace never drags. The lush cinematography is drenched in color; the makeup, costumes, and set design feel not quite contemporary and combine to give the movie a dislocated, otherworldly look. The movie was written by the Polish brothers and directed by Michael; though it's their first film, it feels confident and has a sweet, melancholy humor. The performances of the entire cast--including supporting appearances by Patrick Bauchau, Lesley Ann Warren, and Garrett Morris--are consistent and strong. Though clearly influenced by David Lynch (Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks), Twin Falls Idaho slowly becomes a unique and affecting creation. The delicate image of the twin brothers quietly whispering in each other's ears will linger in your memory long after the movie ends. --Bret Fetzer

Review
Twin Falls Idaho is a wildly original and emotionally potent slice of weirdness that recalls the films of David Lynch, both visually and tonally, while exploring thematic territory previously undocumented on film. An eerily unconventional sight to behold, especially with the sophisticated makeup effects and cloaking of the actors' extra body parts, Mark and Michael Polish's conjoined twins inspire endless philosophical quandaries about the nature of wholeness and identity. What is smart about their screenplay is that it does not serve these up on a platter. In fact, many of the film's wrenching plot details, like the fact that Michele Hicks' prostitute lives with the guilt of having given up a retarded child for adoption, are only hinted at in the script, with supreme respect for minimalism and the viewer's capacity for appreciating nuance. Newcomer Hicks is a revelation as the viewer's surrogate, who restrains a flood of curious questions in deference to an awkward politeness. Visually, she strikes as much of an impression as the freakish twins, with her gothic mascara and hauntingly gaunt figure. After opening up a wellspring of previously unconsidered questions about the logistics of the twins' social life, sleeping patterns, and biological commingling, the Polish brothers address them in a satisfying succession throughout the gradual narrative, often through the tactless prying of secondary characters. Identical twins in the viewing audience may find Twin Falls Idaho especially fertile, since these issues work as a fascinating extension of their unique sibling bond, with which the directors are quite familiar. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide

On the DVD
Digitally Mastered Audio & VideoAudio: English 5.1 (Dolby Digital) and 2-Channel (Dolby Surround)Subtitles: English, French, SpanishPolish Brothers' Audio CommentaryTalent FilesBonus Theatrical TrailersScene SelectionsProduction NotesInteractive Menus

Customer Reviews

Twin Falls Idaho
From the restrained colors, music, pacing, acting - every element of this movie was perfectly thought out and perfectly connected.

Including the Polish Brothers in their role as conjoined twins. They allow a peek inside what it is like to be a twin in the first place - but taking it to the most extreme example of two twin brothers that love and hate one another. And live with the knowlege that the weaker of the two has very little time left to live.

And they delicately touch on all the little things that two attached people face daily - from their sleeping routines, to time in the bathroom, being a spectacle in public, their tender love for one another, and the one twin falling in love.

I picked up the movie on a whim, thinking it would be comedic freakshow material. It turned out to be so much better than my expectations.

Quiet and Beautiful
Since watching this movie almost a week ago, I can think of little else. I am spellbound by it. I watched it a second time the next day. If you are considering watching or purchasing this DVD, here's what you need to know:

The movie is beautifully artisitic, without being inaccesible. The acting is superb, the dialogue enchanting, and the humor in this serious movie is gentle.

The pace is slow, dreamlike, exploratory. There is no big to-do to cheapen the end. Instead there is a feeling of "this is just a piece of life, it began before you started watching, and it will keep going after you get off your couch" Its like watching someone very intriguing in the airport, overhearing a whispered argument or a whispered profession of love, and having your flight called before you can hear how it ends.

If you like action and tidy endings, this is not your film. But if you like dreamy glimpses at the way others might live, this movie will keep you awake for a week thinking of nothing else.

Shamelessly cool
While in some ways an interesting look at a subject that has not been explored much (at all?) in film, this is one of the worst movies I have seen in a while.

The script, direction, acting and cinematography are self-conscious to the point of being over-the-top. There are numerous scenes where you could say "ah I see that's supposed to symbolise THAT" - there is nothing subtle about Twin Falls Idaho, regardless of its slow pace. Everything is delivered to us with a film-school handbook about metaphors and mood lighting.

People have compared the Polish brothers to David Lynch and other directors of his style. Unlike David Lynch's films, this one leaves NOTHING to the imagination. It just looks like it does.