SXSW 2017: ‘Two Pigeons’ is a Disturbing Black Comedy

Dominic Bridges’ Two Pigeons made its world premiere at SXSW Conferences and Festivals on March 10, 2017. The film is the first full-length feature from Bridges as a director and writer, with a script co-written by Rae Brunton (Outpost series). Two Pigeons stars Javier Botet (Mama, The Conjuring 2), Mim Shaikh (South Side StoryShield 5), Mandeep Dhillon (24: Live Another Day, Nina Forever), Michael McKell (Emmerdale, Who Needs Enemies) and Kola Bokinni (Black Mirror, 100 Streets).

Hussein (Shaikh) is a shady real estate agent who screws over one of his clients, Orlan (Botet), resulting in a devastating loss for the client. Little does Hussein know that Orlan has secretly moved into his apartment, hiding in different places until Hussein leaves or goes to sleep. Orlan begins to disrupt Hussein’s life, starting small by using his toothbrush in undesirable places, resetting his alarm and changing his phone messages. But he quickly ramps things up once Hussein’s girlfriend, Mel (Dhillon), moves into the apartment. The behavior gets more and more repulsive, making Hussein feel like he’s losing his mind, while he actually loses his girlfriend, job and friendships.

One of the main reasons I wanted to see Two Pigeons is because I’m a fan of the very underrated Spanish actor Javier Botet. You may not recognize him right off, but chances are you’ve seen plenty of his work. Due to having Marfan syndrome, Botet’s tall, wiry physique and elongated limbs and fingers have allowed him to play roles that most would assume are CGI. Crooked Man in The Conjuring 2, Mama in Mama, Enola in Crimson Peak and Niña Medeiros in [Rec] are just a few examples. While I absolutely love those characters, I enjoy seeing Botet in roles where he’s simply human as well. His character in Two Pigeons is a bit hard to like as he’s shoving Hussein’s personal items into his dirty underwear. However, you can’t help but feel for him as he tells his story to his only friends, which are two pigeons sitting on the window ledge outside of the apartment.

Hussein isn’t exactly a likable character either, spending his time not caring about those he hurt, smoking weed and playing video games. But, just like with Orlan, you can’t help but feel for the guy as his life crumbles around him. Between Shaikh, Botet amd Dhillon, the acting was stellar and the dialogue was very natural, especially between Mel and Hussein. There were scenes where I wondered if it was ad-libbed even.

Because of the performances, I fell in love with Two Pigeons within the first ten minutes. My love didn’t let up over the course of the film, but I will admit to being slightly disappointed at the end. The final confrontation builds up so much during the last half hour, only to end in a very soft, anti-climatic way. Regardless, the film was solid, disturbing and well worth the watch.

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