Bandits movie cast and crew

Directed by
Barry Levinson




Bruce Willis

Billy Bob Thornton

Cate Blanchett

Troy Garity

Brían F. O'Byrne

Stacey Travis

Bobby Slayton

January Jones

Azura Skye

Peggy Miley

William Converse-Roberts

Richard Riehle

Bandits movie overview

Everyone loves hard core killing, murder, rape, and lunatic ranting right? Quentin Tarantino, like it or not, started a revolution with Pulp Fiction. The 90's saw the popularization of the anti-hero, and theaters are flooded with dozens of films about bad men doing bad things. But at last, the reign of the sick twisted psycho is ended; as Bandits blows holes in the head of the Tarantino mold and instead creates a fun film about GOOD men doing occasionally bad things.

Bandits stars Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thorton as two polarly opposite cons on the run. After a daring and unplanned jail break courtesy of the tough as nails Willis, the pair plan their future as wealthy casino orders south of the border. But paradise costs money, and so the neurotic, hypochondriac, Thorton plans a series of ingenious bank heists the likes of which the world has never seen. Along the way they pick up a passenger, a bored, and perhaps unbalanced housewife played brilliantly by Cate Blanchett.

Their success depends on kidnapping the bank manager the night before and spending the night with his family. In the morning, they, along with their hostages enter the bank, empty the vault and leave. But even criminals have a conscience, and despite their lawbreaking nature, neither ever truly slips to the dark side of crime.

Despite a slow beginning, Bandits quickly hits its stride in the banter between its two left of center criminals and their would be victims. And soon those first 5 minutes are forgotten amidst a host of Thorton's hilarious neurosis and the burgeoning love between Blanchette and her captors.

It has become so rare to see a caper movie which doesn't end in a hail of death and destruction, that it is almost a shock to see film about robbers take a more lighthearted and humanistic turn. But Bandits isn't strictly a caper film, nor is it a character piece, a buddy story, or a romance. Rather, it tends to be all those things all at once, and in many ways that lack of focus is its strength. Where most films might turn into a writhing mass of confusion at this point, Bandits uses multiple angles to give us a complete and interesting story.

Its true, Willis' character Joe may seem a bit underdeveloped, but Joe's role is that of the strong silent type whom all other characters seem to be anchored to. Blanchett is truly a delight. Like some fluttery, desperate angel, she manages to seem unbalanced and completely in control all in the same instant, dancing through the film as she deals with her own impossible issues and dissatisfaction with life in general. And who knew Thorton had such a knack for comedy? Two-parts Jerry Lewis, three parts Jerry Seinfeld, Thorton's witty, disturbed character brings guffaws to every scene.

Bandits is a return to the type of film making that made crime fun. And while its likely that the gritty Tarantino bullet fest may remain, perhaps Bandits is a sign of things to come.

Bandits movie review

"Bandits" teams two vastly different, though almost equally popular, male stars in a surprisingly hilarious mix of comedy, action, romance, bank robberies, and bad wigs. Macho man Bruce Willis and the talented chameleon Billy Bob Thornton masterfully create two pseudo "bad guys" who capture the hearts of their victims, the general public, and ultimately, the heart of the same woman.

Billy Bob Thornton describes their characters as screwballs of the "Martin and Lewis" variety. That's a fitting description of the harmlessly endearing fugitives who can't seem to catch a break, or leave the life of crime behind. Willis is the "Martin" of the group - the brains and the brawn of the operation - with Thornton playing the sidekick role to the hilt, taking it to an all new level with bizarre phobias and a constant string of questions.

"Bandits" is the story of two partners in crime - lady-killer Joe Blake (Bruce Willis) and the neurotic hypochondriac Terry Collins (Billy Bob Thornton). They bust out of prison - actually Joe does all the busting while Terry just goes along for the ride - and try to make their way down the West Coast, to Mexico. Joe's got a dream of running a resort in Mexico, but in order to finance that dream, they need money - and the only thing they're good at is robbing banks.

The pair gain notoriety as the "Sleepover Bandits," arriving at a bank manager's house in the evening, spending the night, and then accompanying them to the bank first thing in the morning. That way they avoid customers, security guards, and other interruptions - at least that's how it works on paper. Things are going semi-well until Kate (Cate Blanchett) crashes her way into the mix. She's almost as neurotic as Terry, and even more of a ditz. Her husband ignores her, her life is boring and tedious, and she's seeking a way to escape her loveless marriage. Kate finds that escape, as she finds herself attracted to Joe first, and, with much reluctance mixed with a good deal of whining, eventually equally as attracted to Terry.

Director Levinson gives the love triangle plenty of room to grow, and the audience is rewarded with some wildly entertaining scenes between Willis and Thornton as rivals for Cate's affection. "Bandits" also benefits from some superb supporting players including Troy Garity (Jane Fonda's son) as the getaway driver who longs to be a stuntman. His character's a male bimbo, and next to worthless as a getaway driver, but he's also perfectly harmless (these criminals don't seem to have a mean bone in their bodies). Garity's a refreshing addition to the cast of older, established actors, and adds an element of more physical comedy to the group. In addition to looking gorgeous, Cate Blanchett is terrific as the kidnap victim who slowly evolves into an integral member of the bank robbing team.

"Bandits" is refreshing, entertaining, and one of the best film's of the year. Willis, Thornton and Blanchett have created characters the audience can root for - even though they're on the wrong side of the law. "Bandits" is loaded with personality, comic gems, and is sure to leave audiences begging for more.

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