Review of Two Hands (1999) by Craig S — 17 May 2008

Directed by: Gregor Jordan.

Starring: Heath Ledger, Rose Byrne, Bryan Brown, David Field.

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The story follows a young australian who wants to do anything that involves using his hands, he just doesn't know what yet. He soon meets a young girl and falls for her, but not before he takes a job for a local gangster and ends up messing it up by losing the money.

Of course the main reason I wanted to finally get this out was because of Heath Ledger. Watching him grow after every performance and following The Dark Knight everywhere it has gone in production, I was shattered to see Heath pass so suddenly and made sure I saw every film he has made...and this one is certainly his step away from the teenage genre.

It is reasonably by the numbers, no doubt about that, man gets into the wrong business, messes up and is on the run from this crowd, all while trying to fix what he has done...but why try and be original when Two Hands has everything else going for it? Gregor Jordan really came out of nowhere with this film. Highly influenced by many gritty crime classics, he has crafted a fast paced, brilliantly quirky and witty thriller that is never bogged down by its formulaic plot, he directs with too much flair to allow that.

Alongside Gregors tight writing and sharp direction is a pair of brilliant performances. Heath started out before this with such teen 'classics' as 10 Things I Hate About You and minor roles on Aussie television, he really stepped out of his pretty boy persona with this role that really showed his star quality...I think intentionally he was wooden for the first 1/3, but the final hour really showed his dedication and control. Bryan Brown is the other who delivers a gritty and quirky performance as the 'gangster', a performance reminisint of Vinnie Jones or Jason Statham in Lock Stock...and I'll be fair and mention Rose Byrne. A brilliant actress now, her performance here is acceptable and shows potential, but is just a tad to weak and over the top.

Two Hands really impressed me. As much as it is the same plot as so many other crime classics, it blasts through with a fast pace, brilliant direction that is both quirky and gritty and some top notch performances. A load of fun...just don't expect a masterpiece.