Two Hands: 11 Memorable Moments
Here’s some of the most iconic moments from the Australian dark comedy Two Hands in honour of its 25th anniversary.
When 19-year-old street boxer and club spruiker Jimmy finds himself on the wrong side of local crime boss Pando after losing ten grand, his desperate attempts to repay the debt stay alive, and get the girl sets off a chain reaction across Sydney with hilarious and violent results.
Gregor Jordan’s directorial debut feature is as heartbreaking and contemplative as it is action-packed and laugh-out-loud funny. Jordan’s dark comedic styling of Sydney’s underside and a killer soundtrack made it a critical and box office hit domestically. Starring Heath Ledger off the back of 10 Things I Hate About You fame and Rose Byrne in her debut feature film role, with a hilarious turn from Bryan Brown as the charmingly psychotic Pando. Two Hands won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay for Jordan, Best Film editing and Best Supporting Actor for Brown, alongside the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award for Best Film Script.
Dubbed the Australian Goodfellas, every frame is an ode to Australian culture: from iconic landmarks of Sydney – including Kings Cross, Bondi Beach and the Sydney Monorail (RIP) – to gangsters in stubbies and pluggers knocking back brews in the Falcon. And 25 years after its box office release, its popularity endures with audiences new and old alike across streaming.
We touched base with Jordan about the anniversary, and he had this to say looking back on the film’s legacy:
“Two Hands was so much about a time and a place. In 1999 I was a young film maker with an office in Kings Cross and a fan of humorous crime thrillers like Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction. I always wondered why Australia didn’t have its own gangster movies, that captured our unique sense of humour and saw an opportunity. I wrote the movie as a combination of what was real and happening right in front of me, and also as a tribute to stylised black comic crime movies. I thought the film might play well with Australians, that they might relate to a story that was unashamedly about them and was happy when it did.
Of course, I had no idea that audiences would still relate to it twenty-five years later. I feel very grateful that young people are finding the movie and that older Aussies are rewatching it. I wonder how it’ll hold up in another twenty-five years.”
To celebrate Two Hands’ 25th anniversary, we take a loot at the most memorable moments from the award-winning film. Be warned: spoilers ahead.
1. OPENING CREDITS
In a tense introduction of the leading players, the titles burst through the screen accompanied by the opening chords of Powderfinger’s Belter. The soundtrack is a literal belter featuring iconic Aussie bands of the time including Skunkhour, Crowded House, Kate Cerebrano and Alex Lloyd, and defined the summer of ’99.
2. "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."
Every scene is loaded with karmic importance, cause-and-effect, and it’s summarised best in this voiceover by Jimmy’s departed brother. A recurring figure, the Man is a warning of the dark path Jimmy seems determined to follow.
3. THE PHOTO
The awkwardness of tentative attraction and young love are captured in this playful exchange and Jordan’s assured direction produces a surprisingly memorable sequence. The slow-motion push-in and Alex’s fierce stillness leaves Jimmy – and the audience - utterly smitten. Ledger and Byrne’s chemistry is off the charts, and Jordan makes the most of it. The whole thing is just plain cute.
4. A DAY AT THE BEACH
What Australian summer is complete without a trip to the beach? Who hasn’t buried $10K in the sand to go swimming in their daks only to have it stolen by eagle-eyed kids? A creatively constructed inciting incident at Bondi Beach kicking everything into beautiful motion.
5. WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Backed into a corner, Jimmy turns to his brother’s former squeeze Deirdre for help planning a bank job, and she calls in reinforcements in the form of Wozza and Craig, littlies in tow. From the nappy bag to the unplanned creche, everything about this meeting reflects the delicate balance of planning a heist and being a dedicated parent.
6. "PANDO'S A GOOD BLOKE."
IS HE THOUGH?
According to Jimmy, Pando’s alright “once you get to know him”, despite – as Deirdre points out – Pando trying to kill him. The ultimate origami gangster, king of the Cross, Pando is embodied with ruthless charm by Bryan Brown. Able to switch between calculating drug lord and family man, his merciless business principles are only rivalled by his love for his family and a good boardgame.
7. "what're we riding in, craig?"
"Commodores."
Where the good guys drive Holden and the bad guys drive Ford - the great Australian rivalry writ large in Sydney’s criminal underground.
8. COLLISION COURSE
Flush on the spoils of the days’ takings – literally – street kids Pete and Helen come afoul of Acko in a shocking turn of events that we’re still reeling over 25 years later. Amongst the beatings, concrete bricks, and other shenanigans, the sudden violence of Pete’s death and Helen’s silent fury will stay with you.
9. "you'RE ON YOUR OWN NOW, JIMMY."
When Jimmy’s continued poor choices and error in judgement catch up with him on the eve before the big heist, the Man reaches out from the other side in a last-ditch effort to get him back on the right path.
10. jimmy's first bank robbery
In the immortal words of Wozza, “This is gonna be a f*cking ripper.” Everything has led to this ill-conceived attempt to repay Pando creating quite possibly the most iconic, and memorable, bank heist in Australian cinema. Everything that could go wrong, does - to disastrous (RIP Craig) and hilarious (sorry, Craig) effect.
11. WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND
Jimmy makes his choice, Pando gets his comeuppance, Acko’s filthy gun bites him, Wally’s excellent artwork, and Helen’s anger - so many plot elements come full circle in the grimy back room of Pando’s club. Accompanied by the haunting strains of millenial anthem These Days, it brings together the karmic and narrative threads in a memorable final sequence.
special mentions
PASSING THE TORCH
It’s such a small moment, passing a stranger in the hall, but recognising something within them. Jimmy sees the rage in Helen and let’s go of his own – his story is over, and he strides through Sydney lighter for it.
LES GETS HIS
Sycophant Les gets just desserts. Don’t mess with Sydney buskers.
Rediscover Two Hands with Brollie and Prime Video, and rent or buy on other online platforms.
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