Two Hands

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.

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.

It's hard to know what to make of this weird little Aussie crime flick - on the one hand, it's an enjoyable little film with a great sense of humour; but on the other, it just lacks a certain something that ensures the film never reaches above it's boundary that keeps it trapped within the merely 'interesting' territory. That being said, Two Hands is a well plotted film that excellently juggles several stories at the same time, which allows several small climaxes throughout the movie, and that in turn helps to stop the film becoming boring. The absurdity of the goings-on, the thick Australian accents and the bizarre set of characters all help to ensure that the film entertains also. The plot follows the story of a young doorman who thinks he'll go on to bigger things after accepting a job from the local kingpin. He doesn't; the job only lands him in trouble when he fancies a swim and stupidly leaves ten grand on the beach, which is promptly stolen by a couple of kids who have the time of their lives on a shopping spree. However, all is not rosy for our hero; who must find the money or face the consequences...

The film is made up of a cast of unknowns; at least, it was back in 1999, as nowadays Heath Ledger is something of a name. He doesn't impress too much here, however, as his performance is mostly of the one-note variety and he doesn't make for a very compelling lead. He fits the movie in that he's Australian and looks naive; but beyond that, he's not the best lead I've ever seen in a movie. If you ask me, Bryan Brown gave the best performance here. He might not have a great deal of screen time, but he steals every scene he's in and it's him that provides the movie with a lot of its humour. He's got nothing to do with the best sequence, however, which takes place in the form of probably the most hilarious bank robbery ever caught on film. On the whole, I can recommend this film to people that enjoy quirky crime films; as the weirdness is plentiful, and the way that events take a turn for the bizarre is enjoyable; but if you're not a fan of this sort of film, I can't really say that Two Hands will float your boat. It's not a must see, but if it's your thing and you get a chance to see it...you probably wont completely regret it.

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.

"Two Hands" is an entertaining, funny story about Australian lowlifes. The screenplay contrasts the world of fast money and deadly acts with the inexplicability of fate and circumstance. In a subtle way we are asked to ponder the concept that major events in our lives are sometimes generated without our being fully aware of the root causes. The forces of fate and circumstance take Jimmy, the main character, into situations that bring about the realization of his shallow dreams and, ultimately, an understanding of a more personally promising world.

The clueless Jimmy, portrayed with acumen by Heath Ledger, is a kid who grew up without opportunity. The high paying world of crime offers the greatest appeal to his blunted senses. The love and help of friends guides him to a higher plateau.

The film is well-directed and well-acted. The band of criminals teeter between likable and despicable, keeping us interested in their crazy antics all through the film.