Brothers of the Head (2006)

A feverish, mind-bending pseudo documentary of conjoined twins Tom and Barry Howe who were plucked from obscurity to be groomed into a boy band. -Official Selection 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival, 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, 2006 South by Southwest Film Festival, 2005 Toronto Film Festival From acclaimed directors of Lost in La Mancha, Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe

sick, crazy, cool

a punk rock movie about conjoined punk rock brothers in a band....looks real, not like that Matt DAmon movie February 9, 2008

These Brothers Stick Together--A Musical Indie About The Closest Of Familial Bonds

"Brothers of the Head" is an ambitious little indie about the meteoric rise and ultimate demise of a British rock group circa 1970's Britain. Shot in a faux documentary style, the film introduces us to two brothers--Tom and Barry Howe (real life twins Harry and Luke Treadaway). The film effectively captures the nature of brotherhood, the spirit of the music scene, the blush of first love, and the corruption of innocence. It is, ultimately, a sad journey--one we've seen many times before, but one worth taking again. Oh and did I forget to mention that Tom and Barry are conjoined twins? Attached at the torso, the brothers start out as a curiosity but grow into real artists. But in addition to the typical destructive forces within the band dynamic, the inability to disconnect from your partner adds a unique and poignant element to this terrific little film.

But as much as I enjoyed "Brothers of the Head," the fake documentary setup is almost the film's undoing. The first third of the movie is too concerned with establishing this conceit. Introducing us to filmmakers, authors, etc. in standard "talking head" interviews, the beginning of "Brothers" doesn't really connect us to the brothers. It's a big mistake, and one that keeps this film from achieving greatness. In addition, many of the initial scenes play as light comedy (including a terrific cameo by director Ken Russell) which don't serve the final film as well as I would have liked.

But once the boys discover music, things start to move into gear. The documentary style becomes less intrusive and the oddly comedic tone is dropped. What we're left with is a fascinating character study. The film provides great insight into the connectedness of the brothers; it's unique to see a serious study of conjoined twins. Usually played for laughs or horror, it is a fascinating psychological dynamic that deserves to be examined. The brothers love and hate one another within the space of one body (essentially)--they want to strike out independently, but they are irrevocably bound both mentally and physically. This, alone, could have made a great film. But "Brothers" also provides a realistic glimpse into the music scene. The songs are believable and compelling; the performance sequences are well shot and energetically performed. It's a seamless combination of drama and music.

Obviously, the Treadaway twins are convincing as the brothers. But, this is no one-trick pony--these guys can act. Both turn in finely nuanced performances. As Barry evolves from a annoying provocateur to someone more and more dependent, nice guy Tom finds romance and then makes increasingly destructive choices. Getting caught up in one's own hype is not a new concept, and the brothers are not immune to the industry's unfavorable influences. The evolution of the characters keeps "Brothers" grounded, believable, and moving.

The ending has an almost haunting quality that stuck with me. Highly recommended; "Brothers of the Head" is unique and effective. Give it a shot--but stay past the beginning. The film might not seem like it's going anywhere of interest initially, but those with patience will be richly rewarded. KGHarris, 09/07.
September 23, 2007

Sad with Great Music

Brothers of the Head. Wow! Sad, dark, sweet, and empty.
I'll explain...exploited boys without freedom. They were locked in a room, spied on, beaten, forced to be musicians. This is presented without much emotion in a dark, depressing manner--almost forgotten because it is so lightly touched upon. The memories of the boys hugging, and their emotional dependency, was the only peek into their true world. It's as if we were able to fly overhead as their life progressed. Yet, it was empty. The boys were commodities.

I loved this movie despite the lack of fullness (the audience begs for more information). It was a wild ride into the obscure with a great soundtrack. The music was fantastic to a punk lover. So much so, I had to order the soundtrack.
Though this is fiction, the story is too real. People are exploited everyday.
August 6, 2007

Best Film of 2006

A clever work of rock and roll art that really defies description. Takes the movie-within-a-movie motif to places its never gone before. May 12, 2007

To Never Be Alone

In this realistic pseudo-documentary, two conjoined twins (Luke and Harry) are discovered by a talent artist and become a hugely popular British punk-rock act. It's a dark tale from the start, but the simple story of sharing every moment of your life with another person joined at the waist is mesmerizing. The joy and angst of the pill-popping, heavy drinking twins is shown clearly and plainly. Their moods change and they are conflicted about eachother, but they always remain faithful (with no other choice) to eachother's feelings. The music is hard and tough and the emotional material matches. This is a cult classic about punk-rock and the feelings that one is never alone - and that isn't always a good thing.
March 20, 2007

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