Jools and Linda Topp are twin singing sensations from the countryside of New Zealand with a deep love for country music. They have risen to stardom in country music, winning over fans of all ages and backgrounds. Jools and Linda also happen to be gay. The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls is a concert film spanning the careers of the Topp Twins, two of New Zealand's biggest stars, but the film is more than that. Up until recently, mainstream LGBT films have been centered around homophobia instead of romances, daily conflicts, and the everyday life of people who just happen to be gay. Last year's I Love You Philip Morris was a step in the right direction. The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls is further proof that despite Rick Perry's objections, being gay is normal, and film is starting to finally reflect that truth.
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls tells the story of the Topp Twins from their early days on their family farm to honing their act singing on city streets and finally selling out shows and even developing their own variety show. The film is a mix of home videos, footage from their concerts, interviews with the Topp Twins and their families, and even interviews with some of the Topp Twins' stage alter egos.
The great part about the documentary is how it takes someone like myself who doesn't know anything about the Topp Twins and very quickly shows me what their act is and why people love them. Their shows are a mix of comedy sketches, country music, and stories from their lives as street performers and political activists. The Topp Twins' act works because of the chemistry the sisters have together. Individually, the Topp Twins have beautiful voices, but together, they have gorgeous harmonies. Their sketches and recurring characters also work because they are so connected to each other and have this sharp comedic timing that comes naturally to them. Because of their shared life experiences, they can also play characters that look and sound like their friends and neighbors, but their humor is never mean-spirited. Apart, Jools and Linda are talented, but together, as they say in their song, the Topp Twins are “untouchable girls.”
The film's director Leanne Pooley does a fine job telling the Topp Twins' story. Despite only having an 84 minute running time, she manages to give an overview of their career without the film feeling rushed. She knows when to stop and just let her subjects talk and breathe. Several interviews that stood out for me were the interview with Jools and Linda's male stage alter egos Ken and Ken, Linda talking about Jools' battle with cancer, and their parents discussing when the girls came out of the closet. Pooley was clearly able to make her interview subjects comfortable on camera, and I greatly respect her for that.
What I really loved about The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls, though, was how the Topp Twins were such unique entertainers and yet such down-to-earth people. On the surface, they are the most unlikely of entertainers. They are yodeling lesbian twin sisters from farmland in New Zealand, and their act doesn't seem like it would have wide appeal. In actuality, though, they are two of New Zealand's biggest performing acts selling out venues throughout their home country as well as London and New York City. The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls is more than the sum of its parts, much like the Topp Twins themselves. It is the story of these charismatic women told through interviews and stage performances, but it is also a story of hope and joy for LGBT people and their advocates. The Topp Twins are strong gay women. They are not victims, and their story is not defined by other people's homophobia. Movies like Brokeback Mountain and Boys Don't Cry were important for bringing LGBT characters and issues into the mainstream, but The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls is a perfect example of what they were working towards. Jools and Linda Topp live wonderfully normal lives and express their love without fear. Dan Savage might have started the message “It Gets Better,” but the Topp Twins are living that truth.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The DVD release includes 9 deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer for the film, and an additional 24-minute featurette called “Beginnings.”
"The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls" is on sale November 8, 2011 and is not rated. Documentary. Directed by Leanne Pooley. Starring Jools Topp, Linda Topp.
