Bandidas (2006)

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1. 

   xxNicollable

   Hayek and Cruz are perfect for this movie 12 years 8 months ago
2. 

   Siskoid

   Though it's a piece of fluff, Bandidas is a pretty FUN piece of fluff. Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek (oh myyyyyy) are daughters of men killed in a murderous land grab by a slimy Dwight Yoakam working for an American bank down in Mexico, though he's clearly drawing between the lines. They pull a Cat Ballou and get themselves Sam Shepard of all people (certainly lends the film some gravitas) to teach them how to rob banks so they can become revolutionaries, though they did already have their own special skills. Farmhand Cruz is a horse whisperer and crack shot; cultured Hayek is better with knives and seduction. And there are some fun horse tricks and fights throughout, as well as some western takes on more modern tropes, like the heist sequence and Steve Zahn as America's first C.S.I. What doesn't work so well is all the sex stuff - the silly kissing context and sexual competition between the two women. At least they get called out on it, but it's still the stupidest of subplots. But overall, it's an amusing western adventure with engaging leads and for fans of the genre, some visual quotes taken from spaghettis, Butch Cassidy, etc 1 year 10 months ago
3. 

   demagogo

   Okay, I guess you're reading this bc Netflix recommended you Bandidas for watching any random western in their catalogue, and, out of curiosity, you're asking yourself if the film's worth hour and a half of your time. The answer is: It depends.
   
   One of the first things the movie wants you to know is that you're watching A Luc Besson Film, so you kinda figure out what's coming on. The first minutes of setting up the plot and characters are slow and full of silly, worn-out tropes. Then you see a lot of Penélope Cruz playing herself, and what matches with that: the most unharmful and unentertaining safe-buck kind of fiction brought to you by Disney, which could be appopiately described as "cute," "you know it's no masterpiece," etc. And it isn't, and I'd dare to say Tim Burton's fucking Alice In Wonderland is more bold than the first half of this film.
   
   Oddly enough, when you'd wanna look out for some other thing in Netflix, the film gets more interesting. You can start noticing some Luc Besson's trademarks, i.e. 90's wide-angle lenses, more cartoonish performances, and quirky anime-ish erotica. I interpreted some very little wet shirts scene as a faux pas (even the most sexless-driven could drop stuff like that anyway), but I got proven wrong as the film progressed. There's even a little blood spill, which is not very Disney as far as I know.
   
   Along with The Fifth Element, it's a confusing film for me. I don't know what it aims for, how I was supposed to feel afterwards. There are some recurring themes here and there, specialy the guy with little-to-none personality who's a recipient for the viewer's (and Besson's, I guess) sexual desire. But I think this is weirder, because there is this whole family friendly shit along with some odd sexual innuendos, which its alien dialogue make it even stranger. Movie's like breeding ground for Lacanian charlatanism. 8 years ago

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