Paixão Bandida

I tried very hard to like this movie but unfortunately I failed. While it appears to try to be a "black comedy" it simply appears to be "black" with very little comedy attached. The performances are good for the most part, but it is really difficult to like a movie when every single character in it is so damned unlikable. I mean really, not one single character in this movie had a single redeeming characteristic. Isn;t the purpose of cinema to be our ability to relate to the characters on the screen, in this case the characters are so awful we couldn't care less if any of them lived or died. I watched it once, and then rented it again to watch it again (perhaps thinking it would grow on me the second time) but I turned it off round about the "motel blow job" scene when I really got very bored with the whole thing. Apart from the fact that the actors act their socks off in this movie there is very little to say for it. (and is it just me or does Keanu Reeves wear that same damn suede jacket in EVERY movie he is in? I mean do these movies not have wardrobe in their budget?)

I really liked this movie. It reminded me of the movie "Fargo." There were enough twists and turns mixed in with the goofball depiction of the characters to keep me interested. I thought the acting was good enough to make the characters surreal rather than stupid. This is a movie worth watching repeatedly. As usual, Keanu Reeves does a great job with his character from beginning to end in a spontaneous fashion as the situation is very fluid.

If you like Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz, Dan Ackroyd and Vincent D'onofrio. Rent this movie. I just finished watching it and I was intrigued by it, waiting to see what would happen next. I thought Ke did a great job as did Cameron, Dan and Vincent. Not once did I regret renting it. It's all relative people.

At first, I thought the script itself was mean-spirited and seemingly pointless. However, the movie in its entirety is very effective as a window into the lives of these rotten characters. The actors are the integral component in this movie; each and every one of them is so totally believable that I am still disgusted when I think of the film. I can't think of a single other movie that makes me appreciate it for the ability to draw me in in such a negative manner. I can't see this kind of film being done again, however. I think modern movie audiences come for the spectacle. With this movie, however, they are confronted with the same mediocre, selfish people that probably live in their respective neighborhoods.

This film suffers from being a hybrid between the Coen brothers and Quentin Tarantino in part. It's not violent or ironic enough to be a Joel Coen creation and not obscenity-laden or gory enough to be a Tarantino product. There is humor, however, in the bumbling of Vinny D'Onofrio's character and in Reeve's typically understated role. You get the idea the real "bad guy" in the film is the neglectful, dope-smoking mother who allows the older brother to brutalize and bully the younger. It's topped off with more goofiness with Aykroyd's Krazy Kop and Delroy Lindo's Gangsta role (I particularly liked the red hair gimmick). I missed this one when it came out and rented the video because I found the name, Feeling Minnesota, remindful of the Coen Brother's Raising Arizona. I found it very watchable and rather liked the ridiculous situations very dysfunctional people get themselves into. The only glitch seemed to be Cameron Diaz who at times seemed unsure what her character was all about. Still, there is much in this film to recommend it. I would ignore the more negative reviews found here: I've no idea what these people were expecting or wanting. Check this movie out for yourself and you decide.