Lesbians | The Topp Twins Are Back!

Maybe. This affectionately made film seeks to spread the love, humor, activism, and songs - some of them are quite catchy - to the States.

Whether their distinctive brand of music and comedy translates for viewers, is, however, mostly a matter of taste.

For those unfamiliar with the sister act, The Topp Twins provides a primer. They grew up on a farm in Huntly, New Zealand. They loved living on a farm, and Jools still keeps horses. At 24, they both had girlfriends, and lived all together in the same house. They sang as buskers and eventually toured colleges, developing a following. Soon, they started performing in bigger venues to greater acclaim. They also became involved in political causes ranging from anti-Nukes to LGBT equality, and Maori land rights. Now in their 50s, The Topp Twins have been performing for over 25 years.

This concert film/documentary features the sisters singing their hits and performing comedy bits in their famous characters. From time to time, they invite special guests they have known/played with throughout their career to come up on stage. In between these songs, archival footage and interviews provide the story of how The Topp Twins became famous.

If director Leanne Pooley does anything well, it is showing how close Jools and Lynda are. Their bond is palpable - especially when Jools is diagnosed with breast cancer and Lynda takes on the role as caregiver. Although both women have partners, their lovers are seen and speak only briefly.

While the film acknowledges that the twins do sometimes fight, it is not really explained what they argue about, or how they handle their differences. In fact, viewers curious about the ways in which the twins are different, or even which twin is older, won't find answers here.

The Topp Twins seems far more interested in celebrating the longevity of the twins' career than providing any real insight into their off-stage lives.

Much of the documentary showcases the popular characters Jools and Lynda have created from their own lives and experiences, such as two New Zealand farmers named Ken and Ken, a pair of women called Camp Mother and Camp Leader, and two swell sisters named Prue and Dilly. But when someone describes them as, "naughty girls having fun," some viewers will wonder when they will be naughty, or have fun. The Topp Twins are about as dirty and as corny as an episode of Hee Haw.

The sisters' songwriting and musical styles are not really explored either. Jools plays the guitar, and Lynda doesn't apparently. They both have mellifluous voices, though.

Most of the subjects interviewed for The Topp Twins gush effusively about these down to earth women who are able to entertain people from all different walks of life - from farmers, and lesbians, to children - all in the same show. Billy Bragg, possibly the only recognizable name in the roster of interviewees (unless viewers know former Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark), praises the twins for their ability to send subversive political messages as an anarchic variety act. But their message-laden music does not sound particularly rebellious.

Even if viewers are not won over by their humor and music, the Topp Twins' achievement as lesbian role models is significant. The film shows the efforts they made in support of the homosexual law reform campaign in the mid 1980s. The bill decriminalized sodomy and gave same-sex couples rights previously denied to them. This success will ameliorate viewers' responses to the Topp parents' initially negative reaction to their daughters' coming out. Mom expressed disappointment about not having grandchildren, and dad's struggle with - an eventually accepted - their lesbianism. One twin claims their brother is gay, too, but this information is never mentioned again, and he is seen only in a photo.

Depth and detail is what is missing most from The Topp Twins, who really may be the "Untouchable Girls" of the film's subtitle. The phrase comes from one of their songs, which calls for these "scrappy, aggressive" women to "take over the world." But it seems from the film that they are universally embraced; they do no wrong, and no one dislikes them. As for taking over the world, the film chronicles the sisters winning over fans in Australia, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. However, it remains to be seen if New Yorkers will appreciate The Topp Twins - and/or this benign film about them.

The Topp Twins opens at the Lumiere Theatre in San Francisco on Friday, May 20. There will a QA and a song after the 7pm film screening and then an interview and a short performance before the 9:45 showing. Berkelely's Shattuck Cinema is screening the movie on Saturday, May 21 and there will be a QA and a song after the 7:45 film, moderated by comic Marga Gomez. Then on Sunday May 22 there is a song and QA after the 4:45 showing. For more information: />