Let me preface the rest of this piece by saying that I did enjoy the film, but I also found myself disturbed by the reaction I had - perhaps that was the point. Twin Falls Idaho is about two men, Francis and Blake Falls, who have come to New York City on vacation. We meet these two when we follow the protagonist, a young woman named Penny who is in denial about the fact that she is a hooker, into their hotel room. Then we stay with them after she runs away upon realizing that they are conjoined twins (more crudely, "Siamese Twins"). Penny comes back for her purse and undergoes a 'hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold' transformation. So goes the plot.
But the real point of the film, the spectacle for which we pay our five dollars and sit in the darkness, is to see these two men who are, for the digesis of the film, connected at the side, with three legs and two arms to share. We follow the Penny's experience with Francis and Blake feeling the same indignation she does; we're angry at the small minded people who would capitalize on the misfortune of the two men.
Yet I found myself, during the scene when they play guitar together (one playing chords, the other strumming the strings, both harmonizing), thinking 'wow! That's amazing!' Then, just as it started to dawn on me how voyeuristic I was being, Penny said exactly what I was thinking. "Wow! You guys are really good! I'd pay to see you!" Of course, she meant that she would pay to hear their music, but the direct implication is that she would pay to SEE them. The crazy world where somebody should sell tickets is on screen in front of us.
It's this dual dynamic of guilt and message that makes Twin Falls Idaho both interesting and somewhat troublesome. Since we're caught in the very 'freak-peeping' that is the object of scorn on the screen, we're in a double bind of both identification and guilt. On top of that, the interplay between the dependent Francis and the stronger Blake is extremely interesting. The dependency they have on each other is physical, of course, but the discussion they have about it shows a nuanced understanding of that bond. Other issues at play are the opportunism of Penny (an obvious one) and the relationship she has with Francis and Blake's mother; the lost-children issues are intriguing.
Twin Falls Idaho is a difficult film to enjoy. I would posit that the difficulty comes in its dual meanings. What I find most interesting is the question as to whether or not Michael Polish (director and one of the stars) intended to include that duality, as its effect sets this film apart from the easy-ending all-is-well films of difference that one usually runs into.