Bandits

Busting out of prison, Joe (Bruce Willis) and Terry (Billy Bob Thornton) are out of money and on the run. That changes when Terry comes up with a new way of robbing banks: place the managers under house arrest the evening before, and then get in and out before opening time. Real-life crime shows love them, and dub them the "Sleepover Bandits." They've taken a record amount of cash and have been on the loose for an amazingly long time, despite the fact that pea-brained getaway driver Harvey (Troy Garity) can only dream of being a stunt man.

Kate (Cate Blanchett) might just be the fly in the ointment. A trophy wife at the end of her tether, she a hostage first, until she falls in love - with both bandits. Joe's brave and handsome, and Terry's sensitive and cute. Which will she choose? Will love make everything go pear-shaped? Will the Sleepover Bandits ever make it to Mexico to open their "margaritas and tuxedos" holiday resort?

Bandits' main strength is three enormously likely characters. Thornton's is probably the best: a hypochondriac, lactose intolerant, ringing-in-the-ears neurotic who has a phobia of antique furniture. (You never know what they're making up in the movies. Thornton really does have a phobia of antique furniture; he nearly had a fit on a visit to Johnny Cash's antique-stuffed mansion.) This quirky heist movie manages to hold your attention even through some slow, mildly self-indulgent patches. The script references a whole bunch of movies, from crime (Bonnie and Clyde) to French art (Jules et Jim) to old Hollywood (It Happened One Night). Director Barry Levinson manages to balance out both elements of 'human comedy', making an evening with the Sleepover Bandits an evening to remember.

Carmel Snow