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Overall Rating
  Awesome: 15.63%
Worth A Look: 46.25%
Average: 21.25%
Pretty Bad: 9.38%
Total Crap: 7.5%
13 reviews, 82 user ratings
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| Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) |
by Abhishek Bandekar
"Marriage Counselling…The Fun Way!"
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If I were Jennifer Aniston, assuming that on-screen chemistry translates off it as well, it wouldn’t take much persuading to convince me that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie did have an affair while filming ‘Mr. And Mrs. Smith’! Yes, the sparks between these two definitions of beautiful sexes is palpably crystal. And that is precisely what elevates this film a couple of notches higher than your average fare. Besides, the script cleverly manages to turn the oft-repeated story of a ‘mundane marriage, bored couple’ on its head. Imagine, wouldn’t it be better if every married couple could sort out their differences with guns, grenades, missiles and high-speed car chases rather than the typical monotonous sessions at a counsellor?‘Mr. And Mrs. Smith’ is a stylish endeavour that works on two levels. On the first, it is an extremely affable movie that is not necessarily a chick-flick; and on the second, it is a remarkable rewriting of two of the most timeless and rigid genres of cinema- the spy thriller(where every actor is straight out of a DKNY ramp) and the romantic comedy(where every gag has been done to death). So Doug Liman and Simon Kinberg give us a drop dead gorgeous couple whose married life isn’t as perfect as we’d imagine it to be. Mr. and Mrs. Smith(Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) lead a normal suburban life(boredom, drab dinner table conversations, visits to the neighbour’s for baby showers, etc.), while hiding from each other their real identities- assassins(players) working for secret organizations. It just so happens that they are players on opposite sides! This creates a situation where each learns of the other’s identity and doubts his/her intentions. A cat and mouse game ensues with each trying to bump off the other first. In these moments of heightened adrenaline, they communicate better than they’ve ever done. Not only do they manage to add the required spice back into their life, but they also reveal their secrets. And this is where Doug Liman and Simon Kinberg especially need to be commended. Rather than confessing the number of lovers each has had before, they confess the number of assassinations that they’ve carried out! This is just one of the many examples of rewriting a genre that are present in the film.
For a movie of this ilk, it is essential that the performances click. Thankfully they do, they all do. Including Vince Vaughn’s character and an inside joke of him living with his mother that is directed to his playing the part of Norman Bates in Gus Van Sant’s ‘Psycho’. Brad Pitt is effortlessly charismatic comparing the institution of marriage to a car engine, while Angelina Jolie is not only sexier(oh…those lips!) but her character kicks more ass than that of Pitt’s! It is the comfortable rapport of the two leads, which the Greek gods of love and beauty would be envious of, that helps the film succeed.An apposite background score(John Powell), slick direction, novel writing and attractive actors make ‘Mr. And Mrs. Smith’ a perfect reason to spend 120 minutes at the cinema-hall.
link directly to this review at https://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=12432&reviewer=398
originally posted: 07/06/05 15:04:05
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USA
10-Jun-2005 (PG-13)
DVD: 29-Nov-2005
UK
N/A
Australia
09-Jun-2005
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