Brothers of the Head (2005)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Directors:

Keith Fulton
Louis Pepe

Writers:

Brian Aldiss (novel)
Tony Grisoni (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 October 2006 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

For some people... Rock & Roll was always a freak show.

Plot:

In the 1970s a music promoter plucks Siamese twins from obscurity and grooms them into a freakish rock'n'roll act. A dark tale of sex, strangeness and rock music. |

Plot Keywords:

Twins | Brothers | Incest | Punk | Conjoined Twins

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Jonathan Pryce	...	Henry Couling
Harry Treadaway	...	Tom Howe
John Simm	...	Boatman
Luke Treadaway	...	Barry Howe
Sean Harris	...	Nick Sidney
Ken Russell	...	Himself
James Greene	...	Brian Aldiss
Elizabeth Rider	...	Roberta Howe
Luke Wagner	...	Young Zak
Anna Nygh	...	Zak's Mum / Rita Bedderwick
Howard Attfield	...	Zak Bedderwick
Edward Hogg	...	Chris Dervish (as Ed Hogg)
Bryan Dick	...	Paul Day - 1970's
Nicholas Millard	...	Tubs
David Kennedy	...	Paul Day - Present day

MPAA:

Rated R for language, drug use and sexuality.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:18 | USA:Not Rated | USA:R | Ireland:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:MA (2008)

Filming Locations:

Blakeney Point, Norfolk, England, UK

Company:

Potboiler Productions

Quotes:

Barry Howe: What are you writing about?
Laura Ashworth - 1970's: Well, you guys specifically.
Barry Howe: What about us?
Laura Ashworth - 1970's: Well, you know, you're kind of... you know, you're different. Young and exciting.
Barry Howe: Young, exciting, what else? Give me a- give me a third.
Laura Ashworth - 1970's: Listen, I'm actually writing an article about exploitation of the physically impaired.
Barry Howe: [long pause] Speak to Tubbs, he's got a dodgy ankle.

Movie Connections:

References Women in Love (1969)

Captures, but cannot contain, amazing essence

Dogmatically realistic mockumentary observing the bizarre life and times of Tom and Barry Howe, conjoined twins who take a ride to punk rock stardom in mid 70's England, is quite the mixed bag. On the one hand you have a completely unique character study(s), aided by unfettered realism, even tragically punctuated by the two amazing twin leads (twins themselves). The moments actually trying to make an emotional statement feel quite profound, the boys we're simply amazing in their required roles. However, these moments become few and far between around the mindfully conceived, though flawed majority of this overextended what-should-have been-a-short. Despite the introduction of many characters and several different perspectives given coverage throughout, this still cannot shake the vibe of being a one-trick pony. Although short for a feature, it clearly does not have enough juice to make it through to the finish line unscathed. With the (period appropriate) documentary-style filming abound and all of it's horrible aesthetic ramifications, the interesting approach does succeed at becoming an item of half-truths in the improvised grandeur and supreme realism of it's ways. Unfortunately the majority of on screen time pervading this realism does not translate all that well to film, and only when the brother's inner spaces are illuminated in the film's keenest moments does the movie hint at the true appeal that will be lost on the majority of viewers unable to connect with the pretty inaccessible subplots and overall style. If not for the little, but riveting emotional substance to be mined from this movie, mainly I can see no other reason for the indulgence in this soon-to-be-cult-but-likely-for-no-one-else oddity, except for old school, Sex Pistolesqe, punk rock fans who will likely froth at the mouth through a good half of the footage dedicated to the band's assault of their songs, as all other viewers feel assaulted in their ears. The nasty homage of a soundtrack that fuels this fictional band does have some fittingly manic style, a dash of intelligence, and attitude to spare, but becomes immediate second(if not third!) fiddle to the sole saving grace throughout the interesting experiment : How real, Howe's were