Attention bandits! (1986)

What took me nearly a month to finish; honestly - shouldn't have. Claude Lelouch's "Bandits" will trick you into believing that it is nothing more then another slow French film about the plight between a father and daughter; the first thirty minutes will only affirm this. My suggestion - keep trying it. Break through that initial barrier and one could discover a revenge [slash] uncompromising love story buried near the end. A modern day 'Robin Hood' story, Lelouch has crafted a tale that is emotion-felt, dangerous, and unforgiving in its quest for revenge. Using his real-life daughter as the main catalyst for our aging thief's desire to go back into the populous, Lelouch creates a dynamic that initially becomes bold and passionate, but later drivels into mere cliche. I don't mean to come out of the gates bashing this film, "Bandits" quite surprised me and unlike most dramatic French films, actually kept my attention to the end, but boy, was it a confusing ride. Lelouch sets up the story with a heist gone wrong, and our main character (played with deft invigoration by Jean Yanne) takes the fall for ten years, decaying due to the death of his wife, but living vicariously via daily letters from his daughter. These scenes are amazing, creating this excitement for their return, but what actually happens is anything but...

When father and daughter finally reunite, the fireworks, shall we say, just don't go off. It is a bland reunion, with dad going back to theft and murder as his unique way of life. He revenges his wife's death, and spends the rest of his on-screen life on the lamb. That emotion felt during Lelouch's letter writing scenes were intense, but once they came back together it felt as if Yanne's true self came out. Nothing the loving father, but merely a thief and murderer. Though there is an attempt to add a dueling love interest throughout, it just falls short because we lose that fierce connection between father and daughter. That is the key to this film, keep them emotionally connected, and you have a film that stands out - becomes a bolder representation of the classic robber story, but instead - it just falls flat. Characters create scenarios that just don't work, and Yanne's desire for revenge becomes second story to random other events. "Bandits" is an odd film because it begins slowly, redeems itself from the half-hour mark until the hour-fifteen mark, but then falls flat again. Lelouch's misuse of characters forces this obscure French film from great to merely good.

Found in my "Essential Film Posters of the 80s", watched only on VHS, "Bandits" is getting a pink mark. Not to be watched again, but could be suggested to someone looking for a twist on an old tale; but beware. It is the characters that will sing and swim, yet sink again. Not be watched again - but glad to be seen, this is a film that has never made it to DVD for obvious reasons. Excited to have it in the collection, but could never watch again!