Bandidas
Short description
Bandidas is a western comedy set in Mexico in the 1880s. Sara Sandoval is the European-educated daughter of a wealthy banker, while Maria Alvarez is the rebellious daughter of a poor farmer. The two women have nothing in common until an American bank representative named Tyler Jackson, working for the New York Bank and Trust, has their families destroyed to seize Mexican land for a railway. Bound by that loss, Sara and Maria reluctantly join forces, turning to robbery and targeting the bank that wronged them. A young New York police inspector, Quentin, is sent to catch them, though his pursuit becomes complicated. An aging outlaw, Bill Buck, helps the pair.
The film was directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, and it stands as the first feature in the directing filmographies of both. Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen wrote the screenplay, with Besson also producing. Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek Pinault play Maria and Sara, and Steve Zahn, Dwight Yoakam, Sam Shepard and Denis Arndt round out the cast.
Released in January 2006, the film had a budget of 32 million USD and grossed 18 million USD worldwide. On IMDb it holds 5.7/10 from around 39,000 votes, on TMDB 6.1/10 from about 1,200 votes, and its critics' rating stands at 5/10 from 16 reviews, placing it below the audience scores on both platforms.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film was directed by two directors. Joachim Rønning handled the technical aspects of filming and the work of the cinematographer, while Espen Sandberg focused on the actors' performances. According to Penélope Cruz, they worked flawlessly as a pair and made all decisions together.
- The film was shot in Durango, Mexico. This location has served as the setting for over a hundred Westerns, including "Geronimo" (1962), "Major Dundee" (1964), "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973), "Blueberry" (2004), and others.
- Salma Hayek had to learn dressage before filming the movie.
- During filming, the press began to hype a theory about a lesbian relationship between Hayek and Cruz. Penélope fueled the fire by vigorously groping Salma's buttocks at one press conference. Later, the Spanish actress explained her excessive fervor by saying she had the flu.
- The scene with Steve Zahn lying naked in bed, featuring Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek, took three days to film because the actors couldn't stop laughing.
Auditions in India
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