Twin Falls Idaho (R)

synopsis

Michael Polish's feature debut, Twin Falls Idaho, is a methodical and carefully crafted, yet magically realized, portrait of the universal search for love within a shockingly refreshing framework. The film tells the story of conjoined twins, Blake and Francis Falls, whose lives are as enigmatic as their unique appearance. Their situation has enabled them to achieve a bond and level of communication that are very rare. Venturing into the city in search of their mother who abandoned them at birth, the twins take the opportunity to explore a new side of life and order a prostitute. After initial aversion, Penny starts to care for the brothers when she learns one of them, Francis, is ill. She slowly sees the true beauty beneath their unusual exterior and begins falling in love with Blake. Conflicts arise when a doctor informs her the twins must be separated to save the healthy brother. Torn between her love for Blake and attempts to comprehend the unspoken bond between the twins, she struggles with her own issues. Featuring remarkable performances by real-life identical twins Mark and Michael Polish (who also cowrote the story), and a phenomenal prosthetic attachment, Twin Falls Idaho is at once a dramatic story and delicate fairy tale. Outstandingly photographed and lit to evoke a mysterious and timeless world, the film brilliantly captures the emotions of an existence deprived of love and the pain it sometimes takes to find it.