Customer Reviews

Bandits

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

these ladies kick a**! The Bandits are four imprisoned German women with wildly different personalties who play in a prison rock band. When an opportunity to escape presents itself, they take it, led by the luscious Katja Riemann, a major star in Germany. While they're on the run, a record producer puts out a CD of the demo tape they've sent him and they become overnight hits. From here on out it's sort of "Thelma & Louise" meet "A Hard Days Night", with humor. The actresses wrote most of the songs, which are in English, and perform all the vocals and instrumentation. This is a movie that can be enjoyed by feminists and male chauvanists alike.

Six out of ten directors these days use music-video techniques in narrative film, and most of them in a hackneyed way, but in Bandits Katja von Garnier shows them how it should be done. Utilizing the kinetic energy of music-video techniques but blending them seamlessly with charged cinematic storytelling, a crackling script, and uniformly good acting, von Garnier's film is a playful and satisfying journey, one of the few rock-band stories to have held my gaze.

The movie's first asset is its diverse lead characters: Jasmin Tabatabai is electrifying as loose cannon Luna, while also having penned most of the songs on the soundtrack. During the music-video sequences, which are so expertly edited and nicely timed in the film so they don't seem jarring at all, she becomes a rock goddess, while also holding her own with comic timing and during the more sensitive sequences. Katja Riemann is great as brainy, middle-aged drummer Emma, and when Emma and Luna share their heart-to-heart on the street after Luna's drunken binge, it's the most beautiful moment in the film, where von Garnier reins in her camera and lets the actors breathe. Not-too-bright, vulnerable bassist Angel (Nicolette Krebitz) and melancholy keyboardist Marie (Jutta Hoffman) round out the band, helping to provide shades, diversity and tension.

The music itself isn't for everybody, but the sheer diversity of styles incorporated in this movie is refreshing: From hard rock to riot-grrl punk, from girl pop to acoustic folk, from blues to a lounge act (destined to go bad, L7 style) -- though it's not perfect music, it fits the tone of the movie perfectly, augmented by the fact that it *is* written and performed by the Bandits of the movie (aside from covers).

In the end, like Run Lola Run, Bandits negotiates its stylistic innovations such as disrupted time (absolutely brilliant editing by Hans Funck), dramatic ellipses and "invisible" payoffs with a sense of fun and moments of true catharsis to make a grandly enjoyable whole.

This was one of those movies that came on while I was on the computer with the TV on in the background. After a few minutes I was watching this terrific story and enjoying the music of these four German women. After watching it a couple of times after that, I came to Amazon.com and bought the CD, which is wonderful! I am decided to buy the movie and would recommend it to others!

So I bought this album at the local video store, for the simple fact that it looked like it would be good. It was, in fact, right up my alley, a "bandit" movie, somewhat of a buddy roadtrip flick, and a defying society film. Reminded me of something like "Thelma & Louise' when I read the back.

However, once I got home and put in the DVD I realized that this was an all german movie. At first I was disappointed but watched anyways, as I usually don't mind subtitled movies. Well this movie blew me away. You really get attached to these ladies and want to know what drives them and made them the way they are. The music as well in this film is great. In the special features on the DVD there are two music videos or "Catch Me" and 'Puppet". They are VERY representative of the movie and damn good songs.

I would recommend this movie to anyone. It was definitely a great find!

I absolutely love this movie. I am 17 years old and want to be a filmmaker. It is very hard to find good women film directors or good films at all and this movie is definitly good. I saw the trailer for it while watching Run Lola Run and then saw the movie in a used cd store and bought it immediatly. I was pleasantly surprised with the whole film; the music, humor, characters, and most of all the sex scenes that are choreographed with such creativity and beauty. Everyone whom I have forced to see this film has loved it and with good reason. Please rent or buy this film, you will not be sorry.

Too bad that there are thousands of theaters in the US that did not show this movie. This movie is different: has energy, a nice flow(you do not yawn or blink)and the music is excellent plus it is a bit unpredictable. The director did a great job when she threw in videos but mixed the script with the themes of the songs so the viewer did not get lost or bored by a song. In other words this is not a musical. I've never heard about the director the actresses but there is definitely a lot of talent in all four Bandits. Tabatabai has an excellent future not only acting but actually singing. Angel's humor mixes well with Marie's age and Emma's maturity blends perfectly with Luna's toughness. The photography in the movie does not ask Hollywood a favor. The scenes were carefully chosen but did not steal the plot, for example, when all four got caught in the middle of the bridge in Hamburg(?).... Watch it and then order the CD. You will love it.

I've been looking for German movies on DVD ever since I got one. Ever since I've seen this movie called Bandits, I realized that it ranks up there with some of the best. I highly recommend this movie which is about a group of female prison inmates who use the fact that they are band members to make an escape to freedom. There's also some really good musik in this movie as well, which makes this movie great to watch.

This is a somewhat surreal movie with a great ending (IMO). The four leading characters (women) have formed a rock band while in prison. Then they escape and the fun begins. There's some good music in the movie.

I watched it three times, and the music fit with the movie perfectly. I like the way they shoot the scence too. Feel like fall in love with those german women after watching it ;-)

this is your film if you love hip german flicks like "run lola run", rockin' musicals, or chick flicks as a general rule of thumb. here is one film which is as well-acted & well-written as it is choreographed. i can't imagine anyone in their right mind who wouldn't be entertained by this film & i sincerely pray no idiot american will try to remake bandits. so as not to bore you with a lengthy review of why i love this film, just go out & pick up a copy at your local blockbuster while you still can. i mean, while it's still in print. i will give you a few tidbits as to why you should want to see it though. every song is 100%addictive & you will probably find yourself tapping your foot, snapping fingers, or perhaps singing along with these talented german chicks. unlike some prison chick flicks, this one is neither excessive in the sex or violence department so there isn't a great deal of objectionable material. yes, you could probably pop it in with mom & dad or while teens are doing homework in the living room. lastly, there is never a dull moment in the entire film. each scene is as mesmerizing & exciting as the one before so you are constantly immersed in the grand scheme of things & you will care about each of the women. if nothing else, you will find bandits to be great eye candy just like the sleeper german film "run lola run" with the incredible photography. i bought this film in a used vhs bin & have watched it by myself many times & with friends.