Some like to call Twin Town the "Welsh Trainspotting". I would disagree - while it has some similarities such as prolific drug use and a bleak portrayal of a city in the United Kingdom (in this case Swansea, with bits of Port Talbot), the two films are quite different.
Twin Town takes place in 90s Swansea, where brothers Julian (Llyr Ifans) and Jeremy Lewis (Rhys Ifans) live a carefree existence smoking weed and driving stolen cars at high speed through the residential areas of Swansea. Their father, Fatty (Huw Ceredig) does work for local businessman and small-time gangster Bryn Cartwright (William Thomas), and falls from a ladder and breaks his leg while working on a roof. Bryn refuses to give the family compensation for Fatty's injury, and the brothers take revenge by urinating on his daughter, Bonny (Jenny Evans) during a singing competition at the local (sadly, now-defunct) nightclub, Barons.
This starts off an escalating feud which involves the decapitation of a poodle, and the surprisingly massive explosion of a caravan, culminating in some rather brutal justice inflicted on Bryn and his partner in crime, corrupt cop Terry Walsh (Dougray Scott). I'm not going to go and spoil the entire thing, but what I will say is that things take a rather dark turn, with Julian and Jeremy showing a rather unexpected creative mind for murder, especially given that they appear to be just permanently wasted.
As a Swansea resident, I have to say that while the drug use in the film is exaggerated, it does capture the seedier side of Swansea quite well. The scenes of Swansea's nightlife are perhaps too accurate (anyone who has been to Wind Street at its worst will know what I mean), and the accent and rather, erm, colourful way that the characters speak is spot on. It also, however, captures some of the more beautiful aspects of the city, namely its heart (although the Lewis family are dysfunctional, they have a very warm family dynamic), and also the beautiful scenery in the area (visible in the panoramic shots of the city), and I think that any Welshman couldn't watch the funeral scene at the end as the choir sings "Myfanwy" without wiping away a tear.
I saw that the film got quite a few bad reviews on the net (and indeed on here). I think possibly some might not get the accents, or indeed the feel of the film - ultimately, to really enjoy the film, you have to have lived in Swansea to get the most out of it, as if you have, a particular location or character will tie in with certain memories you have of the place, whereas otherwise, it might not.
It's most definitely worth checking out, and add another star if you're from Swansea!
Twin Town takes place in 90s Swansea, where brothers Julian (Llyr Ifans) and Jeremy Lewis (Rhys Ifans) live a carefree existence smoking weed and driving stolen cars at high speed through the residential areas of Swansea. Their father, Fatty (Huw Ceredig) does work for local businessman and small-time gangster Bryn Cartwright (William Thomas), and falls from a ladder and breaks his leg while working on a roof. Bryn refuses to give the family compensation for Fatty's injury, and the brothers take revenge by urinating on his daughter, Bonny (Jenny Evans) during a singing competition at the local (sadly, now-defunct) nightclub, Barons.
This starts off an escalating feud which involves the decapitation of a poodle, and the surprisingly massive explosion of a caravan, culminating in some rather brutal justice inflicted on Bryn and his partner in crime, corrupt cop Terry Walsh (Dougray Scott). I'm not going to go and spoil the entire thing, but what I will say is that things take a rather dark turn, with Julian and Jeremy showing a rather unexpected creative mind for murder, especially given that they appear to be just permanently wasted.
As a Swansea resident, I have to say that while the drug use in the film is exaggerated, it does capture the seedier side of Swansea quite well. The scenes of Swansea's nightlife are perhaps too accurate (anyone who has been to Wind Street at its worst will know what I mean), and the accent and rather, erm, colourful way that the characters speak is spot on. It also, however, captures some of the more beautiful aspects of the city, namely its heart (although the Lewis family are dysfunctional, they have a very warm family dynamic), and also the beautiful scenery in the area (visible in the panoramic shots of the city), and I think that any Welshman couldn't watch the funeral scene at the end as the choir sings "Myfanwy" without wiping away a tear.
I saw that the film got quite a few bad reviews on the net (and indeed on here). I think possibly some might not get the accents, or indeed the feel of the film - ultimately, to really enjoy the film, you have to have lived in Swansea to get the most out of it, as if you have, a particular location or character will tie in with certain memories you have of the place, whereas otherwise, it might not.
It's most definitely worth checking out, and add another star if you're from Swansea!