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Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

"Bandits" is a German 110-minute movie from 1997, so this one has its 20th anniversary this year. Katja von Garnier is the director here and also one of the writers and this is not the only occasion she worked with actress Katja Riemann. But probably the worst, at least I hope so. Yes I just wrote "writers", which means that actually several people worked on this movie and they still did not see all the flaws that are wrong with it. And even if I am generally a bit biased when it comes to Riemann, I still can only shake my head at her winning a German Film Award for this film. The entire plot has nothing to do with realism. This refers to the biggest crucial parts and events as well as the details. This is the story of a group of musicians who manage to break out while they are supposed to give a concert. Okay, so the police are huge idiots here and they really screwed up, but what happens next is even more embarrassing. While on the run, the gang turns into successful musicians and they are cheered at by audiences. Why? Why? Why? There are criminals on the run. Oh yes lets buy their records, won't we? And the police still can't catch them despite all this. Embarrassing stuff. Needless to say that the music in this film is extremely mediocre from start to finish, sometimes weak and this still makes it better than all the rest I guess. Now if they keep getting away from the police, they have to be somewhat criminal masterminds right? Nope not at all. Pretty much all of them act like fools on several occasions. Stupid romance plots include a romance story between a hostage and one of the criminals. Think of OitNB, Prison Break, Vier Minuten etc. and think of everything that could have gone wrong with these movies but didn't. Then you can basically imagine what to expect here. In order to keep audiences (especially horny men I guess) from seeing all the flaws with this movie they included a graphic sex scene including the not so unattractive Jasmin Tabatabai. Oh yeah, the young Nicolette Krebitz' looks are probably by far the best thing about this movie. I am honestly glad she makes films nowadays that are far superior to what we have here. But performance-wise nobody stands out at all, even if the script certainly did not help anybody here at all. But it is especially embarrassing in the case of Katja Riemann who I consider a quite untalented actress and who built her success and the fact that she still gets cast in lead roles two decades later on garbage films like this one here. No idea what awards bodies were thinking. Overall, this film is certainly a contender for worst film of 1997 and also a contender for being among the worst films of the 1990s from everywhere. I highly recommend to stay far far away. Also it proves that the likes of Jaenicke, Sawatzki etc. are people who score through recognition value and charisma and definitely not through great range. The crime plot in the center of it all is as crap as everything else in this movie. Nothing makes sense. And sadly, it is also overlong with an embarrassing final sequence/performance. Nothing feels realistic or authentic. Do. Not. Watch.

The song "Catch me" is aka. "Hobart Paving" played by the Londonbased pop group Saint Etienne. Hobart PavingI heard she drove the silvery sports-car / along the empty streets last night. / Hanging around / with hair-dos like mine. / No, I haven't seen the kids for some time. / Picked up her shoes from the red-brick stairway, / just like a harpsichordist she moved. / And back upstairs / at half past two, / with a paper folded, outside the loo. / Rain falls / like Elvis tears. / Oh no, / no sugar tonight. / Out on the high street, / dim all the lights and / cry colored tears again. / And baby, / (Don't forget to catch me.) / don't forget to catch me. / (Don't forget to catch me.) / Hobart paving, don't you think that's it's time, / on this platform with the drizzle in my eyes? / And baby, / (Don't forget to catch me.) / don't forget to catch me. / (Don't forget to catch me.) / Hobart paving, don't you think that's it's time? / The ticket's in my hand, the train pulls down the line. / Rain falls / like Elvis tears. / Oh no, / no sugar. / Out on the high street, / dim all the lights and / cry colored tears. / And baby, / (Don't forget to catch me.) / don't forget to catch me, / (Don't forget to catch me.) / don't forget to catch me, / (Don't forget to catch me.) / don't forget to catch me. / (Don't forget to catch me.) / Oh no, no sugar tonight, / (Don't forget to catch me.) / Oh no, no sugar tonight, / (Don't forget to catch me.) / No no, no sugar tonight. / (Don't forget to catch me.) / Don't forget to catch me...

...but not worth watching unless you're into chick flicks, which I amnot. I have to give Bandits credit for trying to get artistic, but really,it's a dumb movie with a dumb storyline and pretty bad acting. Idon't usually go around saying things are "dumb," but I really didthink this movie was dumb. First of all, it's about 12 to 15 yearslate. 1985-87 were the years to make a chick flick based on amusical band of runaway convicts, not 1997. Secondly, there isno balance between art and reality. You've got to have some sortof realism, or good humor, if you want the audience to sympathizewith the characters. This movie lacked both. The scenes involvinganger were too fake, the characters not well developed, thestoryline too unbelievable (for lack of a better word), and not onlydid it drag on for too long, but what a disappointing and spiritlessending! I liked the music though. I think it was too tame for thestory and not consistent with the girls' characters, especially sincethe most violent girls (Luna) is the founder and singer. Theyneeded more umph. I gave Bandits a 6 because of the effort, but if it weren't for thephotography, colors, etc. I'd have given it a 3.

Now I know not just Hollywood produce fast-food teen movies. The form is attractive enough. Rock'n sex'n fame, nowadays teens' dream life. Runaway chick rock band from prison. Hmm, It could be a "Bonny and Clyde" type of material. But the director shows no interest in examining human nature. The characters don't care much about freedom. In no way their behaviour could possible derive any success, let alone human triumph. The director is only obsessed with showcasing rock music (what a band, they don't even play much original German rock song?), making it look like those cheap MTV.Ladies in the movie seems still in their teen days. Besides music, they only seems to interest in making love. I have no sympathy for the two hollywoodized young band member, who had bitter affair with the same irresponsible cute boy on the street. They got only themselves to blame. This movie about the girl band is definitely not for girls. The plot is lame enough to adding the beat-up story of the mid-class drummer and the story of mid-age mother for her dead son. Both stories are so stereotyped that I eventually get bored.It had great potential. Like the story of the suicidal mid-age mother, though not much rock spirit. This kind of self destruction could be generated by years of the prison experience . "Shawhank's redemption" examined and expressed similar facet. But this director choose just put spread her hormone and left the mess around. It is easy to admire the life on the edge. It is easier to get what is brought out superficially, especially in the fast changing e-days.It has its fun moment. The movie try to switch between reality and surreal. Those rock until you have nowhere to run scene. The fate of Inevitable failure. Pretty impressive. Due to lack of vision, the director didn't explore all the potential of the movie.Maybe I shouldn't take this movie too seriously. But after terrific German movies like "Run lola Run" (similar scene of girl on the run) and "Comedian Harmonists" (similar for a story about a musical group), this is really a let down!