Review No.71: The Topp Twins - Untouchable Girls

In our world tour we now hit New Zealand in which we meet a pair of twins who are lesbian yodelling country singers and also the most-loved comic act in the country. Personally I wasn't aware of Jools and Linda Topp however throughout Leanne Pooley's documentary we see that they have amassed a gaggle of famous fans including most notably Billy Bragg. The girls started by busking in the early 1980s as well as playing various parties eventually getting gigs at local schools were they would put across their political agendas by throwing free pies to the audience. Indeed one thing we learnt about the Topps is that they have been involved in a lot of political campaigns in their time using their somewhat comical music as a way of airing their views on a number of issues. We see them protesting Apartheid in South Africa by being part of the protestors who ran out at the rugby stadium during the Springboks game, they were also involved in the anti-nuclear bomb campaign and have been great supporters of Maori heritage. First and foremost though they are entertainers with one of their friends claiming that their show is inclusive as they involve all of the audience rather than just taking the piss out of them. The film also looks at the ups and downs in their lives from coming out to their parents to Jools' recent battle with breast cancer but what's admirable about these women is that they always tackle a situation with humour while never forgetting where they came from.

I'm sure a while ago I wrote in this blog that the purpose of a documentary is to explore a topic that you were not previously aware of and present it in an entertaining fashion so in that regard Pooley has succeeded. I would compare the Topp Twins comedy to something of a French and Saunders or Victoria Wood/Julie Walters affair as several of their acts involve them going into character for example playing girl guide leaders or regular Kiwi blokes. I found myself watching most of the film with a smile on my face and found the Topps inspiring figures as they always stuck up for what they believed in while entertaining the nation at the same time. I did have a problem with the film in that it was very one-sided while I fell in love with the Topps I did have a feeling that Pooley always believed they were in the right, which in most they were, however I never felt the interviews particularly challenged them. A subject was never explored was the reason for them creating so many characters, was it perhaps because they didn't particularly think that they could hold an audience just as themselves? Despite not a particularly in-depth look at the twins, who to me both resembled Sandi Toksvig to a degree, this was interesting biography of the pair as well as an introduction to me of New Zealand's premiere comedy act.

Verdict: Very light on probing questions this was still an entertaining eighty minutes spent learning about New Zealand's top comedy act so it gets 7.5/10