Bandidas

Infobox Film | name = Bandidas


caption = Wanted...alive or dead
director = Joachim Rønning Espen Sandberg
producer = Luc Besson
writer = Luc Besson
Robert Mark Kamen
starring = Penélope Cruz
Salma Hayek
Steve Zahn
Sam Shepard
Dwight Yoakam
Ismael 'East' Carlo
music = Éric Serra
cinematography = Thierry Arbogast
editing = Frédéric Thoraval
distributor = 20th Century Fox
released = February 3, 2006 (USA)
runtime = 93 min.
country = France / Mexico / USA
language = English
Spanish
budget = $35,000,000
website = http://bandidas-lefilm.com
amg_id = 1:316344
imdb_id = 0416496

"Bandidas" is a 2006 Western comedy film starring Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek, edited, produced and directed by Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416496/ Bandidas] from [http://www.imdb.com The Internet Movie Database] ] It tells the tale of two very different women in turn-of-the-century Mexico who become a bank robbing duo in an effort to combat a ruthless enforcer terrorising their town. This is the first movie that Cruz and Hayek have starred in together.

Plot synopsis

The film tells the story of María Álvarez and Sara Sandoval. María is a poor farm-girl whose father is being forced off his land by a cruel US land baron, Tyler Jackson. Sara is the wealthy daughter of the owner of the nearby properties, and has recently returned from Europe where she attended school. In one fell swoop, both María's and Sara's fathers fall under attack by the baron, (Sara's father is killed, María's is shot but survives) giving him free rein in the nearby territories. As an act of revenge, María and Sara become bank robbers, stealing and giving back to the poor Mexicans who had lost their lands.

At first the two are catty and quick to fight over the smallest matters, but under the tutelage of famed bank robber Bill Buck they learn to trust each other. María turns out to be a crack shot and, while Sara can barely hold a gun, she shows that she is an expert with throwing knives.

Angered by the recent attacks by the newly infamous 'Bandidas' Jackson brings in a specialist, criminal investigator, Quentin Cooke. It doesn't take long for Sara and María to hear of this, and they quickly capture Cooke and convince him to help them. He has already figured out that Sara's father was murdered, so realises that his employer is actually a criminal.

Now there are three robbers, each playing their part in bigger, more ambitious heists. As time goes on, each of the girls compete for Quentin's affections, but he rebukes them since he's engaged. In a move to make the money they've stolen useless, Jackson moves the gold that backs the money on a train up towards U.S. territories. Midway, he decides to steal the gold, betraying the Mexican government. The Bandidas manage to hunt him down, but when they get their chance to kill him, they can't, feeling it would make them no better than him. Jackson manages to draw his gun and almost gets a shot off at María but Sara shoots first, finishing the villain off. In the end Quentin ends up with his fiancée and María and Sara ride off into the sunset, their eyes set on Europe where the banks are, according to Sara, "bigger".

Cast

*Penélope Cruz ... "María Álvarez"
*Salma Hayek ... "Sara Sandoval"
*Steve Zahn ... "Quentin Cooke"
*Dwight Yoakam ... "Tyler Jackson"
*Denis Arndt ... "Ashe"
*Audra Blaser ... "Clarissa"
*Sam Shepard ... "Bill Buck"
*Ismael 'East' Carlo ... "Don Diego"

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0416496|title=Bandidas
*amg movie|id=1:316344|title=Bandidas
*rotten-tomatoes|id=bandidas|title=Bandidas
*mojo title|id=bandidas|title=Bandidas
* [http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=315621&rel_no=1 OhmyNews Film Review]