Film 104 (Goal: 300) of 2024

Pretty good crime film at a time when it felt like Australian films were hitting their stride. Starring some names that would go on to achieve major success overseas, in Heath Ledger and Rose Byrne, and with some notable Australia actors, Bryan Brown and David Field - Two Hands is an excellent, quirky film that doesn't overstay it's welcome with a tight runtime.

You could tell Ledger was going to be a star just from this performance. It's crazy to think that Heath Ledger would be gone 9 years later. I'm not sure if it's the direction, writing or just inexperience but there are small portions where Rose Byrne is terrible. Thankfully she would get immensely better, as her career progressed.

There are some bold choices in this film, especially regarding some narrative and characters that are definitely left field to the main story. It can often feel like a few films stuck together, and that the tone won't work. But some good direction and an overall well written script help to keep the film on track.

Lastly, this film makes Australian look like the absolutely dead end of the world. I know it's depicting a criminal underbelly, that was prevalent during this time but it just feels like every Aussie shown comes across as the scum of the Earth. We're not all that bad, despite what Two Hands tries to insist.

That aside, this is a really fun film, with good direction, bold choices, humour, stakes and a (mostly) good cast.