Twin Falls Idaho
1999 • Sony Pictures Classics

For years I have wondered what it would be like to have a twin. I have actually longed to have been one. That way, I could, essentially, talk to myself without seeming crazy. But since I wasn’t born with a similarly timed sibling, I will have to live my dream vicariously through the movies.

Twin Falls Idaho explores the relationship between conjoined twins Blake and Francis Falls. These two are played by real-life (non-conjoined) twins, Michael and Mark Polish, (with both writing and Michael directing the film.) When we meet these two, it is in an unnamed, gloomy little city. They have come there with a purpose, in their creepy, depressing dive of a hotel. As a birthday present to themselves, they ‘invite’ a lady of ill repute to visit them. This stunning beauty, Penny, is played soulfully by newcomer (and, I predict, a future star), Michele Hicks, who is a distant cross between Bridget Fonda and Selma Hayek.

Penny, initially, is repelled by the sight of a three-legged being with two heads, but quickly becomes fascinated by these two separate people who just happen to share the same space. Blake (Michael Polish), the healthier of the two, begins to develop strong feelings for her. Francis (Mark Polish), who isn’t as well as his brother, starts feeling some negativity towards the burgeoning relationship but obviously cannot avoid what is happening.

The film is slowly paced, but effectively so. Some of the scenes are reminiscent of the Coen Brothers’ Barton Fink, with its moody shots of a decrepit hotel and its unusual inhabitants. Sibling rivalry can be a powerful force, but when you cannot escape your other half, things get really tricky.

As real twins, the Polish brothers can bring together experiences they have had in their lifetime to maximum effect. Whether it’s the twins constantly whispering their conversations into each other’s ears, finishing each other’s sentences, or just sitting and studying a two-dollar bill, they understand the strange dynamics that encompass being a twin and can translate that into this ultra-twin situation.

A strong scene in the film is when the brothers get to have the one normal day that comes but once a year for them … Halloween. People all around them think they have the greatest costume and our twins get to go out and dine in peace for a change instead of sitting in their room eating bad snack food.

Penny tries to do what she can to make them feel at ease. As the twin’s health problems increase, so do the feelings Penny has for Blake, and the reason that the twins are in the city becomes more apparent and pressing.

The Polish brothers have created a unique piece of work, knowing when to infuse it with humor and when to balance that out with drama, all the while staying away from ‘freak’ clichés. While at times a little maudlin and melodramatic, it nonetheless captures a surreal environment, showing us a wild dichotomy, the inner workings of brotherhood and what closeness really is.

Stir of Echoes
1999, Artisan

Shifting gears a little into darker and more gruesome territory, Stir Of Echoes is a good little thriller that was sorely overlooked because of the Sixth Sense hype. (Forget the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, this is the Sixth Sense of Kevin Bacon.) The story revolves around a small, close-knit Chicago neighborhood that harbors a dark secret at its core. Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon), is a working class man, struggling musician, husband, and father. Always concerned that his life will be nothing more than ordinary, he receives quite a shock when, after a street party where his sister-in-law hypnotizes him, a door to the supernatural is opened, the same door that his little boy Jake sees through, as well.

Unable to shut out the strange visions of a dead girl in his house, Tom slowly descends into a madness — exploring who she was and why he sees her (as well as other weird and disturbing images.) This lunacy that overtakes him begins to understandably strain his marriage as his wife Maggie (Kathryn Erbe) tries to figure out why her husband and son are zoning out and talking to the walls.

David Koepp, the writer of Mission: Impossible, Jurassic Park, The Lost World, and Men In Black, among many other hits, makes his directorial debut and does a confident and strong job of it. The film simmers along rather than boiling over and stays closer to thriller than horror. While not unfamiliar territory — rent The Lady In White — it still provides good goose bumps and who-done-it thrills. Bacon becomes completely involved in his roles and his performance here proves again how good and underrated an actor he can be. While he never goes for the flashy or over the top roles, (ahem, Nicholas Cage), his work in films like this stand on their own as very good examples of powerful but restrained acting..

While many of us have a strong curiosity about the ‘other side’, we see that once that door is opened, and the realization of what was out there is apparent, we just might wish for it to be shut and forget that it actually exists. It’s one thing to think there are UFOs, but if you actually came in contact with one, then a thousand perceptions about humans, the world, and religion would be forever changed. After watching this film, I realize that I would rather see ghosts on screen rather than having them hover next to me as I sleep. (Great, now I’m getting scared to go to bed. Thanks a lot!)

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