Friday, April 16, 2010

Films #3 and #4: Mixed Bag, Part I

For the second--but "opening" night--of the WI Film Festival, we teamed up with Auntie Susan and Uncle Jim to dine, drink, talk, and watch two very different movies, a New Zealand documentary and a South Korean horror film.

The official kickoff to the festival, The Top Twins: Untouchable Girls, is funny, sweet, and inspiring... I could throw in a lot of other adjectives, but I'll spare you. I'm still trying to figure out how to describe the film, and why I liked it so much*.

Linda and Jools have spent (literally, Dave) their whole lives living, working, and playing together, and they have a special relationship that most of us can only dream of. Although their bond is so strong, it's not to the exclusion of others--they also form close relationships with lovers, family members, and friends. The twins' lives would seem to be hectic and disjointed--they're singers, farmers, comedians, and activists--but they have found a rare, calm balance to life. Watching them--and the people who know them--love, peace, joy, and good humor radiates from the screen.

Susan's reaction to the movie was "I want a twin, a twin just like one of them." I can't imagine anyone walking out of the theater who didn't feel the same way. I was charmed. I fell in love with the twins. You will too.

Today's films: Last Train Home, Human Terrain, Harmony and Me, and Feed the Fish.

Thursday's Film Ratings (outta 5):
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls ****
The Host **1/2

*The only bad thing I have to say about the film--and I'm reluctant to do so--is that I missed quite a bit of the dialogue (and song lyrics) because of the New Zealand accents. The fault is mine, not the film's or the twins'. I could've used subtitles.

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