Leaburn O
One of the few Goddard films I can not only tolerate but genuinely enjoy. There’s an actual plot in this one which helps. The dance scene is one of the best I’ve seen in cinema. It’s a good Goddard film. Watched on DVD.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
09/07/24
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Samuel S
It was a 2.5 for me, until the end which bumped it up. It seemed clever and was just cathartic for me. It's quite a conventional film about love gone wrong with a heist to cap it off, but it has that French New Wave spice in it that helps give it more personality, with some memorable moments coming out of it.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/10/23
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Audience Member
A very frustrating film. I think I went in expecting way too much and was left severely disappointing. There are definitely some standout scenes in there, some great laughs but also a lot of tedious repetitive moments.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
02/26/23
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jordan m
I almost chalked this up as another worrying example of a foreign film classic that I had failed to appreciate until I got past the halfway mark and things started to pick up. The heist finale really is quite good, and the dance scene with the narration was appreciable. This was my first Jean-Luc movie and I think I was just expecting more than what I got; this actually holds up quite well against other foreign language movies I've seen. A review cited on the movie's Wiki page says this is among his most accessible movies, so I think I'll need to see more of his work to really gain an appreciation for why he's so beloved.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
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Audience Member
romantic, philosophy, and beautiful.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/26/23
Full Review
reuben m
I won't pretend to be a scholar of French New Wave. I've seen a few movies (including BREATHLESS, 400 BLOWS and a few more). And now Godard's BAND OF OUTSIDERS. Of the New Wave I've seen, Godard's films are often the liveliest and most "carefree." At their best, they have an undeniable energy that feels real, like something really happening while a camera happened to be running. Sometimes, you are VERY aware that a film is being made but in a way that delights you with the craftsmanship. And sometimes, you just don't quite know what's going on, because the elements of what we think of as traditional narrative and storytelling are less interesting to Godard.
BAND OF OUTSIDERS touches all these areas. We are introduced, somewhat abruptly, to Arthur & Franz, two young men with little money and big ambitions. And little in the way of scruples. They are both taken with the innocent young Odile (Anna Karina), whom they attend an English Class with. They like her, but they also like the fact that she lives in a home where one of the men there keeps a huge pile of cash in his closet. So they both woo her because they are interested in her, and woo her to get her to help them steal the money. She knows that's their goal, but is nervous about helping. It isn't always easy to tell how anyone really feels about anything. There's actually a narrator there to explain some of this to us, but he never really quite does. The two men are fairly stoic, and its hard to read them. They are clowns. They are romantics. They are men of their era who also like old Hollywood movies. Odile is innocent, but that doesn't mean she isn't interested in and tempted by these guys. She's ready to break out of her shell more than a little.
The "heist" in the movie is almost incidental to watching these 3 interact. At times, their relationship is quite amusing, and at times, there is an undercurrent of danger. Odile fancies Arthur, ultimately, because she thinks he's the most genuine. But to us, he feels the most sinister. Capable of violence. And at it's best, the three have some really amazingly fun scenes together. Best of all was a long sequence set in a cafe, which, after lots of amusing things regarding who will sit where at their table, the 3 launch into a dance (The Madison). That scene, one long, long take, is amazing. Nothing happens, really, except they dance...but it's amazing to watch. Karina comes into her own...she glows in this scene, and for me, at that moment, she became a truly interesting actor.
It's a goofy movie in many ways, and speeds along briskly, but mostly to nowhere. The heist takes the tone of the film in new directions, and I'm not sure how Godard wanted things to come across. It seems remarkably callous. There are times throughout the film where we simply don't have a clue what's going on in the minds of the characters. They engage in conversations that come out of nowhere and we're given no context. Yes, it's all very "new wavey", but we need a little more to be willing to take the journey with you 100%.
It's a fun movie, and feels very evocative of its time and of a particular generation in that time. The young and disaffected with no real prospects. I'm very glad I saw it
The Criterion version is excellent, of course. I watched all the supplemental materials, and with the exception of a somewhat ponderous interview with the cinematographer, it's all worth watching. The printed booklet is heftier than usual, full of good reading. I highly recommend the Criterion "package" for BAND OF OUTSIDERS.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
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