BARRY SONNENFELD

Bil’s rating (out of 5):   BBB.5

USA, 2001.  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Hyde Park Entertainment, Empire Pictures, Lotus Pictures, Baltimore Spring Creek Productions, Cheyenne Enterprises.  Screenplay by Harley Peyton.  Cinematography by Dante Spinotti.  Produced by Ashok Amirtraj, Michele Berk, Michael Birnbaum, David Hoberman, Barry Levinson, Arnold Rifkin, Paula Weinstein.  Music by Christopher Young.  Production Design by Victor Kempster.  Costume Design by Gloria Gresham.  Film Editing by Stu Linder.  

Brilliant characters brought to life by fine actors make this Barry Levinson comedy a must-see. Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Willis are two escaped convicts who literally become famous overnight as “The Sleepover Bandits”: they drop by a bank manager’s house late in the evening, then next morning force him to open up the vaults before the other employees and customers start to arrive.

Their plan to raise enough money to open up a resort in Mexico is going smoothly until an emotionally unstable woman (Cate Blanchett) running away from her emotionally unavailable husband joins their troupe and steals both their hearts.

Blanchett is especially terrific, but don’t ignore the two gentlemen in the leads either: Thornton as the hypochondriac brainy one is at his most loveable, and Willis’ cool genius is fantastically sexy, particularly in his scenes with the leading lady.

Golden Globe Award Nominations:  Best Actor-Musical/Comedy (Billy Bob Thornton); Best Actress-Musical/Comedy (Cate Blanchett)

Screen Actors Guild Award Nomination:  Best Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett)