BANK ROBBER (1993)

Written & Directed By: Nick Mead 
Cinematography By: Andrzej Sekula 
Editor: Maysie Hoy & Richard E. Westover 
Music By: Stewart Copeland 


Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Lisa Bonet, Olivia D’Abo, Judge Rheinhold, Forest Whitaker, Mariska Hargitay, Michael Jeter, Joe Alaskey, Paula Kelly


After robbing a bank, the robber hides out from the police in a seedy hotel where he is forced to bribe various tennants for protection as well as their silence which becomes more difficult as greed takes over and the people demand more exuberant bribes from the bank robber to shelter and hide him. As far as i know this movie is not yet on DVD

After the movie CAN'T BUY ME LOVE. I was a Patrick Dempsey fan. I saw anything he was in IN THE MOOD, HEAVEN HELP US, LOVERBOY, SOME GIRLS. Not great movies, but they never diminished my fandom of him. Hey we all get some tough breaks. Then I saw this movie and it was almost all Over or at least the spell was broken. Even if it wasn't entirely his fault.

Spoiler heavy review

This existential comedy looks good on paper. As it has an intriguing plot that opens the film up to many possibilities as the little details really help sell the premise. Though the film messes up continuously as it goes along. It has a constant droll tone and so many non-likeable characters who you grow to eventually hate.

I believe I might have only laughed once.

The film begins with Patrick Dempsey's character getting dressed and ready for work. Just like his dad used to, saying goodbye to his incredibly hot girlfriend played by Olivia D'abo. We then find out his day job is robbing bald just like his father. So he decided to lay low and hideout until he can hightail it out of town with his girlfriend. He asks his best friend to keep an eye on her while he is on the run. He does as she quickly seduces his best friend as it isn't that hard to convince him. Though no reason is never given for her behavior. Are we just supposed to believe she is easy? And a nympho? They keep having sex throughout the day. While the friend also watches new reports about the robbery and manhunt.

The manhunt involves two uniformed police officers played by Forrest Whitaker and judge Rheinhold who are touchy-feely new age sensitive cops. More interested in his psychological background and helping him. As they have discussions breaking the robbers character done mentally. And the strength of his character. These characters must really need the overtime or have the world's longest shift because this novel takes place over two days and they are never off duty.

Hiding out Billy is bored and since he will never have a chance to sleep with anyone else on the run with his girlfriend and because he is horny. He decides to hire an escort, so he isn't that innocent int he relationship either, played by Lisa Bonet. Who is also one of the big reasons I decided to watch this film in the first place. My all time first celebrity crush (other then Alyssa Milano) he instantly makes a connection with the escort.

Later on we see his girlfriend sleeping with Billy best friends, friend almost like the best fiends is pimping her out to a select circle. Which she seems to enjoy. As he also seems to enjoy watching. It is never explained where her questionable sexual tendencies come from, but she does seem to still have feelings and care about Billy, while this is all going on.

At this point I have to say. Olivia D'abo, WOW. I know she was cute in CONAN THE BARBARIAN and barely used on the television show THE WONDER YEARS, but she is gorgeous and a bombshell in this film and the filmmakers use this to their advantage. Constantly have her in sex scenes and nude. I believe she did this film to create a new image while on THE WONDER YEARS. After this film she went into being a sexpot in the Michael J. Fox movie GREEDY. And she is hot in that movie but she is irresistible in this film. Even if she is giving up the goods easily as far as nudity. She is really one of the few reasons to watch this film. Though I would still suggest fast forwarding through a lot of this film.

Even though her role seems exploitive and meant to keep mostly the male audience interested and invested.

Though it is nice to see her in the same film as Mariska Hargitay. As D’Abo would later guest star repeatedly as the nemesis to Vincent D’Onofrio’s Homocide officer on the sister series to Hargitay’s LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT. D’Abo guest starred on LAW & ORDER:CRIMINAL INTENT

So Lisa Bonet's character has a plan to help billy make an escape with his girlfriend, but in the middle of the plan her runs into the police officers rheinhold and Whitaker. Who instead of confronting him with open arms. Open up their arms and shoot him a bunch of times out of fear and immediate reaction. The. We find out they are corrupt cops working for loss Bonet (which was the only time I laughed, during this whole movie. Which again is supposed to be a comedy) (Earlier we also see them getting high while on duty) which bed up seeing like the payoff to a joke that was going on way too long.

So she drives away with Billy before his girlfriend gets to the location. So she is just left there

This film is surprisingly joyless. That is supposed to be a comedy, but it's dry humor doesn't work. This is one of those films that tries to have quirky characters and dialogue sprinkled with pop culture only before the rise of writer- director Quentin Tarantino, but the film tried too hard. Rendering it with over compensation. Which ends up leaving it lifeless. Which is how you feel watching it.

The film is under 90 minutes and feels like you lost a whole afternoon watching it. It's one of those films that either instantly becomes a cult classic or is discovered later and becomes one. Or hopefully quickly forgotten and merely a footnote on a resume. This seems like it just ended up being a bad movie.

It's a shame too, because it has so much potential if only it had fallen into the right hands. It ends up becoming typical straight to home video type material that seems to be one of those sundance struggling to be different.


Grade: D