Bryan Brown, David Field, Heath Ledger

A 19 year old (Heath Ledger) finds himself in debt to a local gangster (Bryan Brown) when some gang loot disappears and sets him on the run from thugs. Meanwhile two street kids start a shopping spree...( read more  read more... ) when they find the missing money.

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81% liked it

6,332 ratings

Critics

67% liked it

6 critics

R, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: Gregor Jordan

Release Date: January 22, 1999

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DVD Release Date: December 6, 2005

Stats: 441 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (441)


  • May 18, 2008
    Directed by: Gregor Jordan.
    Starring: Heath Ledger, Rose Byrne, Bryan Brown, David Field.

    << "Something that's good can still have a little bit of bad in it, and something that's bad still has a little bit of good." >>

    The story follows a...( read more) 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.
  • September 21, 2007
    Pando: Give em' ya fucking keys.
    Acko: He's not taking my fucking car!
    Pando: It's only gonna take twenty minutes, he needs a car, so give em ya fucking keys.
    Acko: I just got the gearbox fixed.
    Pando: Good, that means it works, now give em ya fucking keys.

    Heath Ledger stars in...( read more) this low budget Australian crime comedy thriller involving some bad sequences of events for a young man seeking something to do with himself.

    Ledger is Jimmy, a strip club bouncer in Sydney who tries to get involved with a local big time drug dealer, only to lose the money he was supposed to deliver and forced to delve into the criminal underworld to get it back.

    It's a very simple story, that has been clearly influenced by films like Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. That doesn't mean its not good though. Ledger and Brown, the drug dealer, are very good in their roles. It is Ledger that has to hold this film together, and he does a great job at it, combing his charm, good looks, and good senses to his character.

    Its very briskly paced, with some inventive scenes, as well as some subtext involving fate that make this a fun flick.

    Pando: You loaded your gun with old fucking bullets you put through the fucking wash?
  • November 11, 2009
    Benchmark in australian films. original story. brilliant performances
  • October 9, 2009
    Pity, because Heath Ledger is the only reason for watching this movie. Everything else is just average or worse. :)
  • September 7, 2009
    A really awesome little Aussie flick. I would think that this is what made Ledger and Rose Byrne become mega stars in Hollywood. I thought it was directed really well and the best thing was it was just simple. Easier to watch and enjoyable.
  • September 5, 2009
    Two Hands Two Big Thumbs Up. A very shine jew in movie history. So real and original. A very smart and fun screenplay. A great ride from start to finish. Australian demonstrate to be a very stylish and open mind filmakers. Heath ledger hello now you know hes the best guy around. ...( read more)But well he was just 18 at this movie and i recognize that he did not improve his acting

    he born to act, he so f#@*^g natural.
  • June 24, 2009
    An average script. Beautifully directed. But due to some reason this movie, like very few, urges me to watch it over and over again, which i've done i don't know maybe a hundred times already. The story is a formulaic cult version as many might call it with a central character wh...( read more)o is a nobody trying to do good for his life and ending up in traps with a tell-tale ending and everything. But, the most appealing part of the movie is the genius that is Ledger at work in one of his earliest and doing an incredibly fine job which is supported by a strong and sturdy cast. I think it is the wish to watch a legend in action that attracts me back to it.
  • June 20, 2009
    i loved this movie...!!
  • June 12, 2009
    Not the best movie Ledger has done, but it is also not the worst. Heath always did a fantastic job portraying his characters no matter how good or bad the film was. He was not only beautiful, sexy and talented,,but he was also very pasionate with everything he did. GOD I miss him...( read more)..RIP baby
  • May 26, 2009
    had it been three hands, i may have watched it

Critic Reviews


Comments


  • jbpelican
    September 21, 2006
    Clever. Bryan Brown rightfully won best supporting actor for this, and rightly so. This is one young lad whos position you definately do not want to be in. Gangster movies have been done before, but not a cool as this one.

    Justins Best Bit: Evil kiddie justice!
  • jerrynation
    July 6, 2006
    Two Hnads Two Big Thumbs Up. A very shine jew in movie history. So real and original. A very smart and fun screenplay. A great ride from start to finish. Australian demonstrate to be a very stylish and open mind filmakers. Heath ledger hello now you know hes the best guy around. But well he was just 18 at this movie and i recognize that he did not improve his acting
    he born to act, he so f#@*^g natural.

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Two Hands Trivia


  • who played heath ledger love interest in "two hands"  Answer »
  • In which movie did Katharine Hepburn say this line, quote, "I'm going crazy...I'm standing here solidly on my own two hands and going crazy"? (Hint: co-stars are Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart)  Answer »
  • Who played a young strip club bouncer trying to make it in the underworld in the 1996 movie Two Hands?  Answer »
  • Name the actress who has appeared in the following movies: Troy, The Night We Called It A Day, Two Hands, The Rage In Placid Lake, Star Wars Episode II Attack Of The Clones.  Answer »

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