Honestly, can somebody justify spending $80million on this tripe? Where did it go? Sure, there are a couple of big set pieces, but nothing worth $80million. The obvious answer is that it was spent on the big name cast and director. And if this is what the ordinary money paying cinemagoer gets for all that money, then God help us!
You can see "Bandits" working (maybe) as a low budget indie flick with a no-name, but talented, cast and an exciting new director. Maybe Harley Peyton's original screenplay was quirky, funny and entertaining (I always am prepared to give the writer the benefit of the doubt), but in these hands, and with this cast, it unexpectedly has become one of the most annoying, tiresome vanity projects ever made.
I have read and seen interviews where Willis, Thornton, and Blanchett have all talked about being the best of pals, and have so much respect for each other, and how this project was a blast to make. And this, unfortunately, is all too apparent in the finished project. There is an obvious amount of adlibbing going on, scenes are allowed to run beyond the point of tedium, and you can almost hear the cries of "That was cool!" or "You were wonderful!", backed up by cast and crew laughing their socks off, between every single scene. I am certain there are loads of out-takes from this movie that are more entertaining than the movie itself.
And the butt of this great joke is Joe Public, duped by the big names into putting down hard earned cash to watch what is, ultimately, a big, boring home movie. If the cast want to self indulge so desperately, don't do it at everyone else's (including the studio accountants) expense.
There are moments of hope: the supporting cast (especially Richard Riehle as a bank manager who responds hilariously to threats and stress) are quite good when the three stars can deflate their egos enough to get out of the way. And there are some good songs. But, all in all, this movie should be a lesson for all involved: Blanchett and Thornton will, I'm sure, redeem themselves with their next projects; but Willis (with superduds like The Kid and Breakfast of Champions on his CV) and Levinson (a talented director who seems to have lost it big time with turkeys like this and An Everlasting Piece) really need to get their acts together and produce something of real entertainment value.
Because, quite honestly, this ranks right down there with Pearl Harbor as the worst movie of 2001. Avoid.
You can see "Bandits" working (maybe) as a low budget indie flick with a no-name, but talented, cast and an exciting new director. Maybe Harley Peyton's original screenplay was quirky, funny and entertaining (I always am prepared to give the writer the benefit of the doubt), but in these hands, and with this cast, it unexpectedly has become one of the most annoying, tiresome vanity projects ever made.
I have read and seen interviews where Willis, Thornton, and Blanchett have all talked about being the best of pals, and have so much respect for each other, and how this project was a blast to make. And this, unfortunately, is all too apparent in the finished project. There is an obvious amount of adlibbing going on, scenes are allowed to run beyond the point of tedium, and you can almost hear the cries of "That was cool!" or "You were wonderful!", backed up by cast and crew laughing their socks off, between every single scene. I am certain there are loads of out-takes from this movie that are more entertaining than the movie itself.
And the butt of this great joke is Joe Public, duped by the big names into putting down hard earned cash to watch what is, ultimately, a big, boring home movie. If the cast want to self indulge so desperately, don't do it at everyone else's (including the studio accountants) expense.
There are moments of hope: the supporting cast (especially Richard Riehle as a bank manager who responds hilariously to threats and stress) are quite good when the three stars can deflate their egos enough to get out of the way. And there are some good songs. But, all in all, this movie should be a lesson for all involved: Blanchett and Thornton will, I'm sure, redeem themselves with their next projects; but Willis (with superduds like The Kid and Breakfast of Champions on his CV) and Levinson (a talented director who seems to have lost it big time with turkeys like this and An Everlasting Piece) really need to get their acts together and produce something of real entertainment value.
Because, quite honestly, this ranks right down there with Pearl Harbor as the worst movie of 2001. Avoid.