Brothers Of The Head [2005] Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe

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Brothers of the Head (2005)


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432260/

Brothers of the Head is a 2005 mockumentary featuring the story of Tom and Barry Howe (Harry and Luke Treadaway respectively), conjoined twins living in the United Kingdom. It was based on the 1977 novel of the same name by science fiction writer Brian Aldiss.

Jonathan Pryce ... Henry Couling
John Simm ... Boatman
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
Sean Harris ... Nick Sidney
Edward Hogg ... Chris Dervish (as Ed Hogg)
Bryan Dick ... Paul Day - 1970's
Nicholas Millard ... Tubs
David Kennedy ... Paul Day - Present day
Ken Bones ... Henry Couling
Jane Horrocks ... Roberta Howe

Brian Aldiss, the writer of the original novel, filmed a cameo, however it was cut out and replaced by an actor portraying him. Deleted scenes make it clear that in the continuity of the film, Aldiss based his novel on a real life case. In the backstory of the action, Ken Russell (who appears in the film as himself and makes references to a previous rock and roll-based film, Tommy), had attempted to make his own uncompleted film version of the "true" story.

Ex-Crackout members Steven Eagles, Nicholas Millard and Jack Dunkley also have cameos. They also provided the soundtrack to the movie.

All Bang-Bang music tracks featured in the film were actually performed live by actors Harry and Luke Treadaway themselves, along with the actors portraying the band members. The Treadaways, along with all the actors except Bryan Dick (Paul Day), recorded studio tracks for the soundtrack album.

Keith Fulton & Louis Pepe are documentarians by trade most known for films about show business like "Lost in La Mancha". Thus, this adaptation of a Brain Aldiss novel takes on that form. It's not just a case where every problem looks like a nail when you're good with a hammer, though; it's a way to bring the audience into an unusual situation.

That situation is the lives of Tom and Barry Howe, a pair of conjoined twins raised in isolation until a musical impresario more or less purchases the seventeen-year-old brothers from their father in the mid-1970s. Rather than becoming the pop novelty act the man envisioned, the pair pick up a punk sensibility, as Barry's songs especially are suffused with anger and raw emotion; they are getting their first chance to express themselves to the outside world and they're not messing around. It's far from an easy or idyllic life, of course, as the house in which they life includes an intrusive documentarian, a "keeper" who locks them in their room and beats them, and a pretty graduate student studying them who quickly comes between the brothers.

Much of what we see is footage shot by "Eddie Pasqua" (Tom Bower), which looks plenty authentic. Presenting the movie this way makes the outré content of conjoined twin punk rockers a bit easier to digest; documentaries invite the audience to view the unusual, as opposed to relating to that part of the characters' lives that is familiar and understandable. In order to show events that wouldn't have been caught on camera, the script posits an earlier (but never completed) adaptation of Aldiss's book by Ken Russell. Russell and Aldiss appear in present-day interviews alongside the other characters, though they're used sparingly (and I half suspect that they're present in order to include a memorable scene described as coming from the book that doesn't quite fit the film's realistic take on the material).

We only see the brothers in 1975 and still pictures from their childhood; early on, sister Robbie lets the cat out of the bag that the brothers died some time ago. They are played by twins Harry Treadaway (Tom) and Luke Treadaway (Barry), who also perform their own songs (writing some of them). Since there's no need for broad mannerisms to tell the characters apart - Tom is on the left, Barry on the right - they're able to just play their characters straight without worrying about the audience confusing them. Not that such crutches would be needed; they both give strong performances, with Barry's unapolagetic anger leaping off the screen at all times, while Tom bottles himself up, only releasing himself on stage. My favorite scenes is a quieter one, when they're asked when they'd consider separation: Tom mentions the event of Barry's death while Barry says they'd go down together.

The rest of the cast is fine, too. Sean Harris plays disciplinarian Nicky in both time periods, and is thoroughly disreputable. Tania Emery is pitch-perfect as the young Laura, a girl who initially at least seems to mean well, but is also inevitably going to be gasoline on a smoldering flame. She may or may not be trouble deliberately, since in aging makeup she seems patently insincere when she says she did nothing to cause a blowup. Diana Kent is suitably sad (30 years later) as Robbie.

The filmmakers are excellent at selling us an environment, and using the tools at their disposal to set the scene as well as trying to replicate straightforward documentary style. The visuals are grimy and murky, looking both authentic and very atmospheric; the lack of proper lighting when the camera intrudes on the brothers in the bedroom or bath makes for a very spooky shot, as they appear to be floating in a black void. The house is a jumbled mess, from omnipresent cocaine to the words the twins have scrawled all over their walls. The other period details are well-accounted for without seeming kitschy, and the "Ken Russel version" is a stylish, fun diversion, especially when the audience gets to play at spotting the likes of Johnathan Pryce.