Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...

I have to say... I really like Simon Kinberg’s script for this one. I was talking with Matthew Vaughn recently, and he couldn’t say enough good things about this script, and about his experience with Kinberg and Zak Penn on the X3 script right now. As an idea, MR & MRS SMITH is pretty much what would happen if TRUE LIES and WAR OF THE ROSES got in the Brundlechamber, but what makes the script work is that it picks a very particular tone that really works, where you’ll accept Brad Pitt beating the shit out of Angelina Jolie as a sort of foreplay instead of domestic violence. I’m dying to see what Doug Liman’s done with the film, and I’m jealous that this review already saw it...

Hi there Harry,

I managed to get a sneak peek at Mr. And Mrs. Smith and thought I’d give you a heads up. Firstly I’d just say that in the grand scheme of summer movies, since Sin City came out in the states, this film falls somewhere in the middle of expectations. Lets be frank here, this is a year when Star Wars, Batman, Sin City, Chaz and The Chocolate Factory, Narnia, Kong, Grimm and all sorts of big movies are coming out. Mr. And Mrs Smith in another year may have gotten bigger coverage but in truth I hadn’t even heard of it until a few months back, which is strange as it is very much a star vehicle for two of Hollywood’s best known. It’s a big budget yet I do feel the film will have some trouble recouping it’s dosh. Lets be fair here it comes at a time when Star Wars will still be raking in the mahooles and then we have Batman too. The recent trend of summer movies has been big opening then big fallout, and I expect that to continue here. However in turn up for the books, for a bloated summer star vehicle this is great fun people.

Right off the bat I’d like to say something: Angelina Jolie is hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! I’d almost forgotten how hot because I’ve been so bored of her recent work and usually avoid her films. It slipped my mind that she was damn good in Tomb Raider even if the film was rubbish. I’d also like to state that I found out last week she lives in the same county (state, if you will) as me in England (oh man did I jerk off with that!). Anyway simply put, this is her movie. That’s not to be detrimental to Bradley Pitts (League of Gentleman quote!) I’m actually a guy who appreciates that he can act, whereas some guys just don’t like him. He is primarily a chicks actor, lets be honest, but he did get an Oscar nomination lest we not forget. I have to admit though sometimes he can look out of place and I felt before seeing this that in a straight up action role he’d falter as he did in Troy, however he is good.

The plot is about a bored married couple, tired of each other. They go to counsellors they make uncomfortable small talk at the dinner table (George and Susan in Seinfeld anyone?!) and they feel there’s no mystery involved in their relationship. What they don’t realise is that both of them are actually assassins. When Pitt is sent on a mission to wipe out a threat to his bosses he discovers that it his wife is an assassin and to make matters worse, he has to kill her, while at the same time making sure she doesn’t kill him. That is pretty much the be all and end all. It’s simplistic blockbuster fare and of course as you might expect they team up come the end. The script although simple is witty though. Like True Lies or just great old action films like Last Boy Scout it has great one-liners aplenty.

Is this just run of the mill Hollywood blockbuster junk? In some ways yes, because after all it’s a remake, it’s simple and it’s a blatant cash cow star vehicle, but what really makes it better than the usual is Doug Liman. To a lesser extent to what he did with the Bourne Identity, he takes a very much big studio type movie and gives it almost an independent style and energy to it. The fact is the script is one of those that is full with enough zingers and comedy moments to be just enjoyable popcorn lark. The action is slick but it’s given just the broadest hint of indie style kinetic vibrancy. Not monkey cam and not as shaky as the Bourne’s demanded but while there is plenty of on screen carnage it doesn’t feel like its merely an attempt to milk John Woo and make everything look beautiful when it gets blown up. There is a hint of roughness to the action scenes that mix well with the big budget pyrotechnics. I mean a lot of stuff gets blown up, destroyed, decimated in this flick and I loved it. It’s also a film that delightfully is more reliant on, on set effects and stunts and not too much on CGI, again possibly down to Liman’s insistence. The action is fantastic, particularly a great lovers spat in the Smith family household and what could be the summers best car chase. Unlike some blockbusters the finale doesn’t fizzle out disappointingly, with an action packed last half hour.

Cast-wise this is good. Brad Pitt is on good form as John. One problem is that during the martial art/hand-to hand sequences he is not entirely convincing. I feel probably due to the fact that the actors wouldn’t have had the regimented training that there was in say the Matrix. In fact in that respect Jolie totally outshines Pitt and you get the feeling if you had to choose one of these Agent Smiths to do a job you’d choose Mrs Smith. Angelina is fan-fucking-tastic (pardon my French!) and she is the action movie veteran of the piece having starred in two Tomb Raider films and Cyborg 2. She really can kick ass! In fact she could take on Sly, Arnold, Willis, Jean-Claude, Seagal, all at once and pound them all into oblivion. As far as the two together there is definite chemistry and the film made before the two became an item doesn’t suffer from couple syndrome like Gigli or Eyes Wide Shut, where there is about as much chemistry as there is in a mattel “chemistry for 5 yr olds!” toy set. Also special mention to Vince Vaughn who steals his scenes. He is hilarious. It’s little more than an extended cameo performance but Vaughn leaves an impression.

Overall I can safely say this is just good old fashioned action fun, similar to True Lies and just as entertaining. It’s good to see in-camera stuff and an attempt to make a good fun action yarn. Anyone who had the misfortune of seeing for example the utterly detestable and effects heavy Torque would surely appreciate a film of this ilk. It’s brainless but very enjoyable.

Tom Jolliffe.

I like that the review thought Jolie was more credible in the action than Pitt. I agree... of the two of them, I know which one looks like they’re genuinely dangerous in hand-to-hand combat. Thanks for the review, Tom.

"Moriarty" out.