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Harry Treadaway, Luke Treadaway, Bryan Dick, Sean Harris, Tania Emery ... see more see more... , Diana Kent , Tom Bower , David Kennedy , Elizabeth Rider , Jane Horrocks , Jonathan Pryce , John Simm , James Greene , Ken Russell , Brian Aldiss , Luke Wagner , Anna Nygh , Howard Attfield , Ed Hogg , Nicholas Millard , Ken Bones , Roger Watkins , Steven Eagles , Raymond Pickard , Joe Van Moyland , Ray Cooper , Kenneth Hadley , Isabel Skinner , Michelle Bayton , Gillian Farr , Roger Spottiswoode , Neil McKay , Matthew Pearson , Kieran Rushby , Kristel George , Brian 'Dawn' Chalkley , Anne Lambton , Jack Dunkley , Jeffry Wickham , Tom Sturridge , Barbara Ewing

Brothers of the Head was adapted from Brian Aldiss' novel by screenwriter Tony Grisoni, and marks the narrative feature debut of Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe (Lost in La Mancha), who have structured Al... read more read more...diss' story as a mock documentary. Twins Luke and Harry Treadaway star, respectively, as conjoined twins Barry and Tom Howe, joined at the torso. They were essentially purchased from their family as teens in the 1970s by a sleazy showbiz impresario, Zak Bedderwick (Howard Attfield), who planned to turn them into rock stars. Manager Nick (Sean Harris) kept the volatile Barry in line, sometimes violently, while musician Paul (Bryan Dick) taught the introspective Tom how to play the guitar, and helped the brothers write their songs. A documentary filmmaker, Eddie (Tom Bower), was hired to record the process. Their first live performance was a near disaster, as the rowdy pub crowd didn't welcome the sight of the two young men coming on-stage with their arms around each other, but Barry, the charismatically angry frontman, shocked the crowd by exposing the joint between them as he ripped into a snarling performance of their first single, "Two-Way Romeo," and the legend of their group, the Bang Bang, was born. As the proto-punk group's fame grew, Laura (Tania Emery), a young journalist, came to write an article about them, and quickly developed a romantic relationship with Tom, causing friction between the brothers. The film features interviews with some of the characters in the present day, and clips from an imagined unfinished Ken Russell film about the twins, starring Jonathan Pryce and Jane Horrocks. The music of the Bang Bang, performed by cast members and the band Crackout, was written and produced by Clive Langer. Brothers of the Head was shown at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Flixster Users

43% liked it

19,111 ratings

Critics

66% liked it

65 critics

R, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe

Release Date: October 6, 2006

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DVD Release Date: November 14, 2006

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Stats: 511 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (511)

  • gor41
    December 20, 2008
    gor41
    Manages to overcome its freak show premise with a serious look at a conjoined twins' struggle with life.
  • hoganshero
    February 7, 2008
    hoganshero
    I really like the music in this film, and the idea of conjoined-twin punk rockers is fairly unique to the faux-documentry genre. I wish there was a little more of a background story, it would have made for a deeper connection to the characters.
  • ceWEBrity
    January 17, 2008
    ceWEBrity
    The worst ruination of an awesome premise since David Cronenberg's Crash. You couldn't make a more dull film on purpose.

    Seriously, all I can remember about this movie is that it has conjoined twins in it, and you can see that from the front of the goddamn DVD case. Also, there'... read mores one scene where they throw a brick at someone, and a scene where they make out at a photoshoot which was probably the most entertaining thing in the whole movie.

    But all of this is just...numbing. Styleless. Mirthless. A God-awful waste of time.
  • CrookedlittleB33
    September 19, 2007
    CrookedlittleB33
    I was anticipating seeing this movie for eons and was glad that I waited. The atmosphere makes it appear to be based on a true story...so I was a little shocked to find out it was based on a book instead.

    The story of two siamese twins plucked from their quiet country life and... read more plunged into the music business. Their father practically signs them off to a label despite the sister's protests.

    It is a dark, gritty, sometimes painful but also extremely beautiful in all its strangeness. The music itself is raw and full of human emotion as they turn their anger for the world into song.

    As I'm quite biased when it comes to IFC films [as in I love almost all of them...], it may not be just for anyone.

    Regardless, I do think you lot should check it out...just don't expect sunshine and lollipops.
  • gator681
    June 28, 2007
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]In "Brothers of the Head", it is 1974 and Zak Bedderwick(Howard Attfield), desperate for a new hit band, signs the Siamese twins, Barry(Luke Treadaway) and Tom Howe(Harry Treadaway), from a remote part of England but they have no musical training. However, th... read moreey soon get the hang of it and even play live on the way to recording an album...[/font]

    [font=Century Gothic]...enter crusading journalist Laura Ashworth(Tania Emery).[/font]


    [font=Century Gothic]The oddest thing about the potentially provocative "Brothers of the Head" is its pseudo-documentary structure which replicates footage from a verite documentary, a never completed film about the twins called "Two-Way Romeo" directed by Ken Russell(!) and interviews with various characters. The usual reason to make a documentary is to impart knowledge but here the verite style just keeps the viewers at an emotional distance from the characters. And except for some brief commentary on the music business, most of the other thematic material concerning twins had already been covered in "Dead Ringers" and "Twin Falls Idaho." Otherwise, this is a gorgeously shot film; nails the period detail perfectly; rings true and has a couple of nice touches including the opening sequence and the inclusion of Ken Russell. [/font]
  • wbgoose13
    November 23, 2006
    wbgoose13
    Realistic to impressive and sometimes grating effect, but what's the point?
  • awkoppenberg
    January 9, 2010
    awkoppenberg
    fucking beautiful film.
    i think it's probably one the few films that i have seen taht truly made me think long and hard.
    kudos to the treadway twins, this must have been incredibly difficult to portray.
  • heybarbara
    October 18, 2009
    heybarbara
    Very disappointing. Almost deliberately gimmicky, the film is also too clever by half (if you'll pardon the pun). By mixing genres, styles and moods, the directors (whose previous film was the excellent documentary Lost In La Mancha) lose their way pretty quickly. I was never sur... read moree whether I was meant to take it all seriously or not. Flashbacks, dream sequences, it was all just a bit much. Plus, the promised rock and roll just didn't move me. I was reminded a bit too much at times of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a film I found original and moving. But in this case, the songs just weren't as good, nor were the main characters sympathetic.
  • jessbess7
    June 8, 2009
    jessbess7
    This was a very well made movie. Completely real looking documentary style. Unfortunately, it wasn't that interesting. The idea seemed unique but the story got slow and predictable.
  • xmkatx
    January 3, 2009
    xmkatx
    Very interesting idea but sort of a letdown? I'm not sure what it was... maybe I was freaked out by the real life twins really making out in the movie? The execution, direction, and acting in the film were good, I just had higher hopes for it.

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Critic Reviews

Geoff Pevere
August 18, 2006
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

Undermined by its form: strange as it ought to be, the mockumentary conventions of the movie make everything strangely familiar. Full Review

Mario Tarradell
August 12, 2006
Mario Tarradell, Dallas Morning News

... the story of British conjoined twins turned underground punk-rock tragic figures can't be ignored, if not for the ingenious way of disguising truth, then for the unsettling presentation of human e... Full Review

Ruthe Stein
August 4, 2006
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle

So cleverly constructed that it's easy to be taken in and believe these twins really rocked. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
August 4, 2006
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

A provocative but oddly unsatisfying film experiment.

Stephen Whitty
August 4, 2006
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

All the artiness on hand can't conceal the familiar raucous sound of the carnival barker outside. Full Review

Carina Chocano
August 4, 2006
Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times

It's the songs ... that give the movie its emotional ballast, countering the filmmakers' intellectualized approach and meta-narrative style. Full Review

Ty Burr
August 4, 2006
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Apes the cinematic and musical excesses of its era so eerily that it's worth a look. Full Review

Rex Reed
August 3, 2006
Rex Reed, New York Observer

It's a lurid fiction, told in a clever documentary style that makes it look uncomfortably real.

Desson Thomson
August 3, 2006
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

A flashy, stylistic show of emptiness, intended to protest emptiness. But that's clear almost from the outset. Full Review

Michael Phillips
August 3, 2006
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

Here, at least, played straight, the mockumentary strictures are more like straitjackets. Full Review

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