BANDITS (2001) ** When Bob Dylan is singing about horses throughout the opening credits, and shortly thereafter Bruce Willis is executing a jailbreak to the musical accompanyment of Led Zeppelin's "Hangman" and the applause of the other inmates...the possibilities loom and tantalize. Billy Bob Thornton plays Willis' hypochondriac sidekick who thinks that he's a bit smarter than he probably is with gusto, occasionally over the top and properly so. Willis provides one of his better performances, winking at the punchlines, and attractively typecast in a psychological milieu of long-haired decadence and reading things that are apparently over his head. It's not a formula piece, but the momentum is repeatedly destroyed by the introduction of the amorous interests in the two from Cate Blanchett. The problem isn't Cate, she's a fine actress and provides at least what the script calls for...the problem is that Barry Levinson never demonstrates any certainty as to whether he's shooting an entertainment/action piece, or serious cinema to be contemplated for the ages. It does the former very well at times, but never gets close to that cerebral bit. Lots of music, obviously downhill after the opening bits, but Bonnie Tyler fits the film well and Cate shows every sullen yuppie housewife what you can do with a big kitchen and the right song on the radio. An Oregon travel agent's dream: Oregon looks cool, California appears all congested with helicopters.
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