Film Review: ‘Allied’ Does Not Get Cooking Until End

 

Marion Cotillard and Brad Pitt star in “Allied” (Photo Credit: Daniel Smith/Paramount Pictures).

 

Dull Until End 

 

1/2

 

Brad Pitt is just going through a rough patch in life, a sort of mid-life crisis if you will.

His infidelity has led to a break up with his wife, actress Angelina Jolie.

As the holidays approach, spending it away from family can be downright depressing.

But if your career is thriving that can sometimes soften the emotional blow.

No one would dare say that Pitt’s career is not thriving, but “Allied” slows it down slightly.

The concept of “Allied” is interesting enough despite being formulaic.

However, the film is just too dull until the ultimate plot twist.

And unfortunately for Pitt, his past actions are not good enough to save it from its ultimate demise, just like in his marriage.

In “Allied,” Max Vatan (Pitt) and Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) join forces to infiltrate German military circles and take out an enemy during World War II.

The job is more than just a simple kill mission because Max and Marianne must convince a skeptical society during wartime that they are who they thought they were to quote the late, great NFL coach Dennis Green.

While Marianne has been alone in North Africa, she has talked glowingly about her husband Max while she mingles with the high society crowd.

The only problem is that Marianne and Max have never met and have to put on some great acting performances to convince their peers that they are in fact happily in love.

Marianne has to school Max on the customs of the country, such as the man sleeping on the roof after romantic encounters with his wife.

Marianne has to frequently visit Max on the roof because their nosey neighbors are constantly searching for clues of espionage.

Furthermore, Max and Marianne have to convince German officials that Max is really not interested in attending a state function where their assassination target will appear.

Max convinces the German authorities that he is a poker-playing scientist who would rather be playing cards than socializing with the rich and powerful of Germany.

However, Marianne and Max make one mistake while doing their job.

They fall in love and eventually marry.

Unfortunately, when the couple and their newborn daughter settle in London, they find out that the other was not who they thought they were after all.

Unfortunately, “Allied” starts off bad, but it does end well.

The opening scene in which Pitt lands in the North African desert via parachute looks very fake.

Furthermore, too much time is given to the story of Marianne and Max’s fake romance before getting to the nitty-gritty of the violent action.

Pitt is smooth in his performance.

In addition, Cotillard is seductive as the femme fatale of the film.

But the film in its entirety is not interesting enough.

The latter half of the film would have made for a good episode on a serial television show with the first part being a good pilot episode.

But as far as a feature film, “Allied” is not Pitt’s best work.

Furthermore, Max and Marianne’s marriage is too much like the film “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”

 

Hopefully for Pitt it is just a rough patch in life and not the loss of his mojo.  He can most definitely rebound with “World War Z 2” in 2017.