Vol. 3, No. 1, January 2006
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Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Video Review: Mr. and Mrs. Smith Brad Pitt, Angelina Joliet Directed by Doug Lyman
Okay, we all wanted to see this film because we were curious about the chemistry between Brad Pitt and new beau Angelina Joliet—and whether male and female protagonists could hold up an action flick.
We were satisfied on both counts—the chemistry between the two glamorous stars is undeniable, and this is about as action-packed as action flicks get.
It's just too bad that the ridiculously improbable plot eventually gets in the way.
At least the film is stylish as it soars through the improbable action. Pitt and Jolie are the Smiths, a name that Brad took as his alias because he is a high-priced assassin, working for a corporation that apparently has industrialized the murder-for-hire trade. We soon find out that Mrs. Smith has the same profession. Both spouses secretly lead their murderous lives of international intrigue, each holding up the front of a respectable, high-paying profession. They each wrap up the day's killing in time for a nice dinner together in their luxurious home.
The plot thickens as we find that they both work for the same murder-for-hire institution, whose leaders decide it's time for them to retire. Instead of pink slips, though, they are each assigned to kill the other. When they realize the truth, the real fun begins.
One long sequence of film is devoted to a gun battle between our two lovers, each flailing ordnance from a range of automatic weapons at the other as they rampage through their home. When neither supposed pro lands a kill, they kiss and make up, only to begin a journey of survival as the "company" tries to kill them both—a long sequence in which we are asked to believe salvoes of explosives, bazookas, machine gun fire and just about everything else can be thrown at our hero and heroine without so much as mussing Angelina's hair.
If it is non-stop action you crave, you will find it with this film. However, right around the time the couple stands in its obliterated house unscathed, the film becomes a cartoon. Which is fine, if you like cartoons.
