Where to turn after watching another documentary or heady foreign film proclaiming the demise of planet Earth or the epidemic of childhood obesity? Where to turn just for a bit of fluff to close the evening? One would be hard pressed to find a more entertaining, light-hearted movie than Bandidas.
A longtime pet project of actresses Penelope Cruz (Sahara) and Salma Hayek (Once Upon a Time in Mexico), Bandidas came to fruition when the actresses presented their idea to writer/producer Luc Besson. Liking the idea of a comedic western with female leads, Besson enlisted his writing partner Robert Kamen – who also had a hand in bringing Besson’s cult favorite The Fifth Element to the screen.
The next step, one that I believe is the root of some of the film’s shortcomings, was to find a director. That duty fell to sophomore director Joachim Roenning and first-timer Espen Sandberg. Roenning’s debut was the sci-fi, Nordic bust, Dag 1. In addition to Cruz and Hayek, Bandidas also stars Steve Zahn (Sahara), Dwight Yoakam (Wedding Crashers, Sling Blade), and Sam Shepard (Charlotte’s Web).
The story is a familiar one. Salma Hayek plays Sara Sandoval - the wealthy, prissy, European-educated daughter of a widower banker, Don Diego (Ismael Carlo). Penelope Cruz plays Maria Alvarez - a head-strong, uneducated daughter of a widower farmer. The back story is that an evil New York City bank is hot to cash-in on a railroad expansion in turn-of-the-century Mexico. Naturally, the railroad line must go through our humble Mexican village and the bank sends villian Tyler Jackson (Yoakam) to procure the land needed for the deal. Yoakam (who seems to be taking fashion tips from Tim Burton) deceptively purchases the Mexican bank and proceeds to foreclose on all the local farmers with a peso and bullet to the head.
Now the story would be even flatter if the main characters liked each other. No, in fact, coming from such different backgrounds, Hayek and Cruz’s characters hate each other. They fight, argue, wrestle around and generally make their stunt doubles earn their pay. But in all this discord the ladies realize that they will accomplish nothing unless they are partners. So they are sent to meet Sam Shepard’s character Bill Buck - one of the greatest bank robbers to never be caught. Interestingly, for such a successful bank robber, Mr. Buck had a modest home in the middle of nowhere. Sam Shepard’s character puts the ladies through a bank robber’s boot camp, teaching them teamwork and the ever important, “Don’t get caught.” This is the beginning of the character development for Hayek’s character, as she learns to trust others and love her heritage.
Steve Zahn’s character, Quentin Cook, enters at this point as a pioneering forensic scientist, working for the New York bank to stop the bank robberies. However, as an honest man of science, he begins to see other clues that alert him to Yoakam’s mischief. At this point I feel the need to let out one spoiler, which I consider more of a warning. Bandidas is rated PG-13 for sexuality, nudity, and violence. If you watch this film hoping, as I did, to see either of these luscious Latina ladies naked, you’re in for the cruelest of disappointments. You will only be rewarded with a shot of Steve Zahn’s pasty, white bum, which virtually brought the film to a halt for me. That’s a freebie, good reader, so you can’t complain that no one warned you.
As an acting duo, I can’t say that I felt that Hayek and Cruz were great. They were by no means a Redford/Newman combination. I believe the fault lies not only with a weak script, but to both actresses trying hard to be funny. There was a contrived effort seeping from the screen each time Hayek and Cruz appeared together. The only humans that seemed at all comfortable in this film were Yoakam (although his accent couldn’t stick to a single region) and Sam Shepard (who would have stolen the movie if he had any more lines). I also think that this would have been a better production had it been filmed in Spanish. I suspect that conveying humor is difficult for Hayek and Cruz since English is their second language. Without a grasp of the subtleties and nuance of English, Hayek and Cruz were forced to depend too heavily on physical humor. Thus, Bandidas often felt like a Latin soap-opera.
Another small gripe I have is with the editing. I understand that there are always mistakes, but this was a choppy film. And there’s even a brief fight in a train where bullets and knives fly, having the mutated look of The Matrix meets CSI – in turn-of-the-century Mexico?! Can I get some ninjas while we’re at it?! I guess that one’s for the kids. But overall, I still like the film.
While it is a fluff film, I do have strong praise for the work of cinematographer Thierry Arbogast. His previous work includes “Arthur and the Invisibles” and the Razzie favorite “Catwoman.” Arbogast not only brings out the beauty in both actresses, he also brings the Mexican landscape to life through his brilliant use of natural lighting. Several times during the film, I was distracted from Hayek and Cruz’s banter by the breathtaking scenery. Now Laszlo Kovacks has company in my pantheon of film greats. If for no other reason, I recommend this film for the cinematography alone.
Bandidas is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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