Twin Town (1997)
Twin Town is a 1997 black comedy film made and set in the city of Swansea, South Wales, although some parts were filmed in Port Talbot. It was directed by Kevin Allen. It stars real-life brothers Rhys Ifans and Llyr Evans and also features Dougray Scott.
Plot
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
The Lewis "twins" of the title are not twins but brothers. They spend their lives stealing cars and sniffing glue. Fatty Lewis, their father, falls from a ladder whilst doing roofing work for Bryn Cartwright. The twins attempt to demand compensation for the accident. Bryn refuses. The twins take revenge by ruining a local karaoke competition in which Bryn's daughter is singing by urinating on her during the performance. Bryn and Terry Walsh, a corrupt police detective (Bryn, Terry and Terry's partner, Alan Grey (Greyo), are involved in drug dealing), beat up the twins. As retaliation continues, the feud spirals out of control, progressing with the beheading of the Cartwrights' pet poodle to Terry Walsh setting fire to the Lewis's mobile home and causing the deaths of the twins family culminating in the murder of Bryn and Terry at the hands of the twins in retaliation.
Spoilers end here.
Critical response
Due to the involvement of Trainspotting 's director and producer as executive producers, and to the bleak portrayal of life revolving around drugs and petty (and less petty) crime, Twin Town is often described as a "Welsh Trainspotting", a comparison which is almost equally often decried.
Reviews and commentaries on the net fall into three main categories:
Some mildly positive, those which see it as an extremely poor imitation of Trainspotting, and reviews along the lines of "I am from Swansea and I think it's hilarious".
Much of the humour is very local, as are the accents and some of the language (eg amblumance for ambulance, "They could just cwtch up, like").
Time Out London described the film as "a plain misfire," but praised the brothers' performances as showing a lot of promise.
The film is also noted for having many uses of the word "fuck".
----------------------------Actors: Rhys Ifans
Llyr Ifans
Dougray Scott
Dorien Thomas
Ronnie Williams
Directors: Kevin Allen