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Mr & Mrs Smith Movie Review - Buy Movies - Rent Movies
This will be the only time the Pitt – Aniston- Jolie, have they-are they triangle will be mentioned. Apart from the Heat, Now, Closer readers, who cares anyway? (Dig at the wife. Only joking darling)! Seriously who does care? It is just unfortunate that this mini soap opera has shifted the focus from a potentially excellent movie to their stormy turbulent personal lives.
The reality, however, was that from the word go this movie was in trouble. Liman (The Bourne Identity), the experimental perfectionist who would undoubtedly piss actors off with demanding extra shots and obtuse camera angles did not help with director-actor relationships. Nicole Kidman (originally signed up to play Jane Smith) pulling out due to rumoured shooting problems on The Stepford Wives (unlucky Nicole) was another blow for the future of Mr.& Mrs. Smith. Pitt then decided he would withdraw when Kidman left which made the prospect of this film being completed very minute. He did however, return to the fold when Jolie stepped in for Kidman, which gave everyone an enormous lift until he left again due to his commitment to the not so fantastic Ocean’s Twelve (not the best movie was it Brad). So all in all it was a miracle that this picture was completed at all. Was it worth all the blood, sweat and tears? It sure was!
Slightly in the mould of True Lies, Pitt and Jolie (John and Jane Smith) (the would be construction worker and systems analyst respectively) are assassins married to one another yet not knowing the other’s true identity. Their secret identities cross paths when they are both assigned to the same mission by their respective rival organisations. It is then they realise what or who the other one really is. The fun commences when they try to eliminate each other culminating in some very funny yet slightly disturbing set pieces. Liman’s inspired (and perspired) direction is clearly first-rate. His hard work ethic seems to have rubbed off on to his cast because the results are there for all to see. Jolie and Pitt performances are from the top-draw, which is further enhanced by their amazing on–screen chemistry, humour and horniness. The ever-funny Vince Vaughn (without his friends Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell) shows just how good an actor he really is by offering quality support to augment and complement the style and pacing of the movie as well as the two main leads.
The use of music is what would be expected in this genre of film. There is nothing new, exciting or outstanding so expect the usual trigger for the action and comedic pieces. An average soundtrack to boot does enough to keep the movie ticking over.
Even though it should not be funny to see people (especially husband and wife) trying to kill each other one cannot help but laugh at the on-screen violence, action and antics. From the opening scene with the Smith’s at marriage counselling, Liman helps us to ascertain who is the dominant figure in their marriage. Was this film Liman’s exaggerated metaphor to describe what happens in marriage? Sure its extreme but after five or six years in marriage:
a) Do we really know our partner as well as we think? b) Do partners get so sick of each other that they want to get them out of their lives?
Even tough the answer is as clear as mud what is apparent that even though this movie has a far-fetched plot it is extremely funny and so entertaining that you could not careless about the story. This is a very good movie and for a summer blockbusting movie it does not disappoint. Domestic violence has never been so funny!
Leon Nicholson
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