Allan Ungar’s newest film, Bandit, is based on the life of Canada’s notorious Flying Bandit and is adapted from Robert Knuckle and Ed Arnold’s novel of the same name. The film stars Josh Duhamel as the eponymous bank robber who, after escaping from American jail and crossing into Canada, becomes one of the country’s most notorious criminals. The attractive criminal is highly skilled at bank robbery, so when he falls in love with a kind social worker named Andrea (Elisha Cuthbert), he decides to start robbing banks to provide for her lavish lifestyle. The genuine Flying Bandit, whose true name was Gilbert Galvan Jr. or Robert Whiteman to his friends, was known for escaping from a Michigan jail, establishing a new life in Canada, and breaking the record for the most consecutive bank robberies ever committed in Canada by robbing 59 institutions.
This trailer gives you an instant impression of his robbery skills; he successfully robs a bank and leaves with the loot in less than three minutes. When Duhamel’s character, Galvan, seeks investing advice from Tommy K. (Mel Gibson), a guy with “a doctor’s thesis in street,” he impresses Gibson’s character by quickly switching between disguises and slipping in and out of banks like it’s nothing. When he finally meets the woman of his dreams, life becomes more challenging. They get along great, and he lavishes her with presents from his stolen wealth as they plan to spend the rest of their lives together. He keeps up his series of heists in the shadows, but with each new job, the police start to pay closer attention to him. John Snyder (Nestor Carbonell) is leading the investigation to find the elusive criminal, but Galvan Jr.’s ability to blend in and out of many identities and his meticulous preparation have everyone fooled.
The importance of his connection makes it increasingly difficult to escape arrest, but when an unusual job comes through, he feels compelled to take it. This is Ungar’s third feature film, but his short Uncharted fan film with Nathan Fillion as Nathan Drake and Stephen Lang as his grizzled explorer friend Sully gained him a lot of attention and helped launch his career.
He released a statement in which he detailed an instant connection with Bandit: “As a Toronto native and aspiring filmmaker, I’ve always sought tales that are both innovative and thought-provoking while also maintaining a sense of familiarity and “home.” When I initially began directing, I purposefully picked projects that would help me hone the abilities I’d already started cultivating and, in the end, mould me into a competent filmmaker. But I always wanted my films to seem like they came from somewhere, that they had a sense of identity rooted in a certain place. The history of this nation is so extensive that I knew I would eventually find a tale that would generate a picture that audiences would want to see because it would resonate with them and be entertaining at the same time. I felt that way about Bandit.”
He went on to say that the script by Kraig Wenman was excellent, praising it for accurately depicting the blend of comedy, romance, action, and genuine crime that is Galvan Jr’s narrative. Since the production of Bandit had to be relocated to Georgia because of the epidemic, it appears that it was a challenging procedure. Ungar explained the process they used to make Vancouver seem like it did in the 1980s, and he continued: “The most surprising story turn comes after all this patriotic fervour: we were exiled to Georgia because of the Covid-19 epidemic. There you go. You can make your own 1980s version of Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Edmonton in Georgia. I had just started what would prove to be one of the most challenging—yet ultimately satisfying—experiences of my professional life. The film tested me in ways I never would have imagined, yet it was only through adversity that the film’s extraordinary cast, crew, and artisans were forged. Our talented actors worked diligently to bring Gilbert Galvan’s narrative to life, and I feel the effort paid off.”
Bandit will premiere in theatres and on-demand on September 23 via Redbox Entertainment and Quiver Distribution.