A two girl double act in the west! (Bandidas (DVD))

Name: Ailran

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Send message to member

Product:	Bandidas (DVD)
Date:	23.02.07 (191 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The two stars and the fun

Disadvantages: Very, very lightweight!

Luc Besson has created some of my favourite films (Nikita for example) and some of the most enjoyable action movies of the last couple of years (Transporter, Taxi and District 13) so coming across something of his that I had never heard of before was a great joy!

Bandidas is another example of Besson’s current love of scripting comedy action adventure films, though this time he moves away from the modern day and heads over to wild west era Mexico for the tale of two Mexican woman who get caught up in the evil machinations of an American railroad company who want to build rail tracks across Mexico, not caring how they go about getting hold of the land they need to complete their plans.

Maria (Penelope Cruz) and Sara (Salma Hayek) are like chalk and cheese. Maria is the daughter of a peasant farmer while Sara’s father is the towns bank president. When thugs employed by the railroad company start killing local Mexicans and stealing their land the women, independently, decide to get their own back and help their fellow countrymen. Their retaliation is to rob the bank where the American company is keeping its money, both of them deciding to do it at the same time.
Their initial annoyance at each other soon dissipates and, after some advice from the local padre, they decide that by joining up they can wreak havoc with the villain’s plans and help the local Mexicans get their land back.

So begins the career of La Bandidas, soon to be famed amongst the peasants for the daring thefts from American owned banks in the home country.

Annoyed by the effectiveness of the two bank robbers the American owners call in a top criminologist, Quentin, played in a quirky, comedic way by Steve Zahn, to analyse information and clues. What they don’t know is that he is scrupulously honest so what will he do when his investigations uncover what is really going on?

Bandidas is very, very lightweight, there is nothing at all spectacular about it and it will never make it to anyone’s top 10 list of favourite films of the year, or even month. It isn’t even really that original, the women as western bandits thing was done a long time ago with Bad Girls, but it is a lot of fun. It reminds me a lot of those classic late 80’s/ early 90’s buddy buddy movies like The Hard Way, except with two women and a western setting.

What makes the film so watchable and enjoyable is Cruz and Hayek, they make a fantastic team. They play off each other with a charm and style unusual for buddy buddy movies. This is mainly because they are women, obviously, something not a common sight in this kind of film but it is also because they have what seems to be a real connection and are having a ball making this film.
They really are a joy to watch, the banter and the looks they give each other are way above what this film deserves, and when Zahn appears the dialogue between the three just reaches another level entirely. As much fun as the story is it is when these three are on screen that the film goes beyond its aims and my own expectations for it.

Steve Zahn is one of those supporting actors who somehow hasn’t managed to get the right jump up to leading man. Maybe, like Oliver Platt amongst others, he is destined to be the funny sidekick (Sahara & Happy, Texas) but if he is always as quirky and funny as he is in this then that will do me.

While this doesn’t match up to other Besson scripted movies of recent times, though it is much more enjoyable than Unleashed, it is a film that is much better than, no not better… more satisfying than a lot of major films.

There is something about Bandidas that I really liked,it doesn’t have anything truly fantastic or memorable about it and has a very basic, seen it all before story, but the two leads, Zahn and the very pantomime-ish villain is just the right side of over the top, all this make it a DVD that is well worth renting as Bandidas turns out to be a very enjoyable little romp.

Summary: A western comedy action that is worth a view