The Good, The Bad & The Groupies! (The Banger Sisters (DVD))

Member Name: Matt_Roberts

Product:	The Banger Sisters (DVD)
Date:	12/02/04 (41 review reads)
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When I first saw the preview for The Banger Sisters I was delighted. I hadn’t known Susan Sarandon not to do a good a film (take Thelma & Louise and Stepmom for instance) or Goldie Hawn (the list is endless) so I gathered the two together would make a perfect comedy match, and there’d be sparks flying on-screen. Both Hawn and Sarandon and wonderful actresses, and The Banger Sisters, at first, sounds like a film that non-successful actresses would make. The Banger Sisters, even though a good story isn’t a film for an Oscar nominated actress. But, it’s a damn good thing that they did agree to do it, because if neither of them were in it, it would have been a massive flop. The Banger Sisters without the actresses is like a film without a screenplay.

The Banger Sisters is about two women, who have both had different lives since separating 20 years previously. Suzette (Hawn) is still a wild chick working in a sleazy bar in Hollywood. She’s still got the figure, she’s still got the looks, the hair, the tattoo’s; the only thing she’s missing out on is her ex-groupie Vinnie (Sarandon). Vinnie, on the other hand, has changed since her groupie days. Now a respectable Mother/Wife she wears nothing but beige and barely shows any skin. So, When Suzette looses her job, and she’s desperate for money, she reckons her best friend will help her out, so off she goes to Phoenix – Vinnie’s hometown. But will Vinnie be glad to see her as much as Suzette thinks she will?

The Banger Sisters is odd right from the start. You barely are introduced to characters until halfway into the film and it can be boring and tiring to guess what they’re really like. A good character – the best by far – is Suzette’s driving buddy Harry (Geoffrey Rush). Wanting a lift to Phoenix, Suzette jumps at the chance of having a driving buddy, but after a couple of miles it seems a bad idea, as the two are lik
e chalk and cheese and annoy each other like hell. But, Harry’s character was a pleasure to watch and you never did bore of him. He was certainly the funniest and most entertaining character, whether it be him being funny, or a joke involving him, I laughed out loud a few times at his characters. It was a pleasure to watch the parts of the film that he was in.

The relationship between Vinnie and Suzette was a really good aspect of the film as well. It comes through how close they once were, and how close they still could be. What lacked was the amount of information given away about Suzette’s character. We barely knew what she’d done in the last 20 years, and I really would have liked to know. Seeing as we saw exactly what Vinnie had been up to for the previous years, I thought it would be only right and proper to talk about Suzette’s past. There was barely any information given away about her, and that disappointed me in a way, because she was an interesting character that I’d liked to learn more about.

The relationship between Vinne, her 2 daughters and her husband was a brilliant one. It was apparent she’d changed in her ways not for herself but for others. Whilst Suzette had been trailing the last 20 years looking after number 1 and completely living for herself Vinnie had spent it living for her family. Changing for her family. The way they treat her in one scene is appalling, and to think that not only does she tolerate it, but that they put her down in such a way, and in front of Suzette. It’s apparent why she’s the way she is, and it’s touching to see that Suzette can bring her old self out. Not because Suzette wants her groupie back, but because Vinnie wants the groupie inside herself back. The transformation of Vinne – not in appearance – but in herself is touching in the film. You clearly see how much she wanted to be who she was, and how much she missed her best friend S
uzette.

Harry and Suzette’s relationship in the film is intriguing as well. Suzette wanting to be his “lover” as he hadn’t slept with anyone for years wasn't just funny, but emotional. It was amusing and rather touching. You could see in the scene that they both had no one. No girl/boyfriend. No family was mentioned. And no friends it looked like, either. They were both a comfort for each other, and it acting wasn’t only top-notch, but for the first time in the film the writing was too. It was one of the best scenes in the film were you saw that fate played a part in their lives, if she hadn’t have been driving to Phoenix, if he hadn’t have wanted to go there, etc, they wouldn’t have met. Although there was no mention of a relationship – although it was certainly made out that way – I like to think they both ended up together in the end, and that after all the years of loneliness they found someone.

The writing in the film wasn’t brilliant. It was funny at times, and was touching, but it had no za-za-zu, no brilliance to it. Luckily, though most of the stars managed to make sure it wasn’t a failure. But, there was one thing they couldn’t help – the ending. It could be thought of as “the only possible way to end it”, but to me it was too abrupt. One minute they were in a bar laughing, next minute the credits were up. They never really concluded any of the relationships that had been made in the film; it was more “make your own mind up”. Even though I enjoyed the film, the ending completely spoilt it for me. I felt that with such an abrupt ending that I couldn’t conclude anything from anything!

Although the writing wasn’t top-notch, the ending was a bit disappointing, the acting was wonderful – and that’s the reason to see it. Hawn and Sarandon are wonderful, and you can tell they’re having so much fun
doing it. The spark between the two is wonderful, and without them this wouldn’t get a look in from me. Watch it, but don’t expect too much from the story; concentrate on the wonderful relationships formed, and the splendid acting.


© Matt Roberts 2004.

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