Bandits (2001)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writer (WGA):

Harley Peyton (written by)

Release Date:

12 October 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Two's Company, Three's A Crime.

Plot:

Two bank robbers fall in love with the girl they've kidnapped.

Plot Keywords:

Bank Manager | Prison | Bored Housewife | Hypochondriac | Inmate

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Bruce Willis	...	Joseph 'Joe' Blake
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Terry Lee Collins
Cate Blanchett	...	Kate Wheeler
Troy Garity	...	Harvey 'Dog' Pollard
Brian F. O'Byrne	...	Darill Miller
Stacey Travis	...	Cloe Miller
Bobby Slayton	...	Darren Head
January Jones	...	Claire / Pink Boots
Azura Skye	...	Cheri
Peggy Miley	...	Mildred Kronenberg
William Converse-Roberts	...	Charles Wheeler
Richard Riehle	...	Larry Fife
Micole Mercurio	...	Sarah Fife
Scott Burkholder	...	Wildwood Policeman
Anthony Burch	...	Phil

Also Known As:

Outlaws (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content, language and violence.

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (CFI)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:15PG (original rating) | Ireland:15 (video rating) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #37636)

Filming Locations:

Bodega Bay, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The film was originally meant to be an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel "Bandits", to which Bruce Willis owns the film rights, but the producers felt it was too weak and brought in writer Harley Peyton to write a new script from scratch.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Joe and Kate appear to switch sides in bed - but one of the shots is as seen in the mirror and there is no continuity error.

Quotes:

Joe: Put that gun down.
Terry: Make me!
Joe: Make me?
Terry: Yes, MAKE ME!
Joe: What the hell is this, the third grade?
Terry: Well, I'm out of well-turned phrases at this point, Joe!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Crimen ferpecto (2004)

Soundtrack:

The Chase

If you like your comedy explained and in-your-face, this one is not for you.

If you like your comedy fully explained and in-your-face, this one is not for you. If you appreciate deeper levels of subtlety and are prepared to suspend hard-nosed reality for the duration, you will love this one. Reminds me of Cohen Bros movies. If you are prepared to relax into it and let the movie take you where IT goes, you are in for a good ride. For those that want to predict a movie and try and show some perceived level of intellectual superiority by telling the person next to them what is about to happen just before it happens (yes - we know they exist), I would hazard a guess that you will not enjoy this movie.

Having said that, I found the movie beautiful in the detail. This is not about grandiose plot, high speed chases and super cool cunning people. This is accidental and bumbling happenstance where random events are delightfully used. Truck, garage door etc. I carried with me the finer and more easily lost details of each character and I found they surprised me and delighted me with often times whimsical twists and subtle growth/support. I didn't find any huge character surprises or character twists, just good solid development, the kind where you can leave your opinions open to the end. Times like the late night rendezvous at the juke box joint and what happens when Bob tries to dance. Perfect. I walked out with a smile on my face, well amused and very much liking the attention to detail in character, shots, lighting, soundtrack etc. Not edge of the seat, sit back and relax.

Nice one.