Robert Zemeckis has brought us many fantastic films in his illustrious career. He is responsible for many of the world’s favorite including Back to the Future and Forrest Gump. I was curious to see what he was offering up, especially with Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard leading the cast. It had been a while since I watched a romantic drama and I was ready to be swept away.
The movie from start to finish is gorgeous and dripping with romance. The two main characters are undercover agents who meet in North Africa, under the guise of being a happily married couple who have been apart for some time. Cotillard plays Marianne Beauséjour, who has been deep undercover, getting close to her target, a Nazi officer pegged for assassination by the Allied forces. She has worked hard to position herself close enough to move on her target and Max Vaton, Brad Pitt, is sent to help her execute the Nazi and complete her mission. Husband and wife are “reunited” and Beausejour begins teaching Vaton the subtleties of married life in Morocco. Vaton must blend in perfectly for them to earn an invitation to a very exclusive dinner party where they will have access to their target. They begin an intimate bonding period, as Vaton learns the ropes. It’s obvious right away that Beausejour is the more talented of the two at playing a part, and she runs circles around Vaton, keeping him in check. We learn that Vaton is no chump either, and he can throw his weight around when it comes times to act. Despite their professional boundaries, Vaton is charmed by his partner in espionage and inevitably they fall in love.
The film is wonderfully romantic, and carries a vintage quality that inspires sighs. Upon discussing it with Harry, he pointed out several references to Casablanca, which now looking back offer the movie more depth than I had caught on my first viewing. Everything is touched with elegance and grace, giving the film a decadence that is truly delightful. The first love scene is dreamy, using a force of nature to depict the suppressed passion the two characters hold back from one another. It punctuates the electric chemistry the two actors have with each other from the very first scene. They are great together.
I also must point out the wardrobe is exquisite in this film and I loved seeing 1940s fashion come to life on the big screen. The set designs were crafted with a trained eye and there were some CGI effects used to enrich scenes. Brad Pitt looks way younger than his 50+ years and I am pretty sure they cleaned him up a bit in post, but my, my, he is dazzling as always.
The story is decent enough, albeit predictable and at times a little cliché. The first act, which offers the audience the initial romance between the two main characters is the strongest part of the film. The second half show has a few scenes that get a little hammy and over-stylized, drawing me out of the story for a bit. They are hiccups, really, because the quality of the film overall is solid. It’s also a very polished, meant to be in the style of classic cinema. If you are looking for a raw and exciting story, look elsewhere. This movie is purposeful and poetic, a perfect date night film for lovers.
Allied is good cinema. You are treated to a quality experience that some might find a bit heavy-handed, as I did at times, but in the end, it has enough strength and talent on all fields to finish strong. A nice romp in romance, I recommend this movie when you want to cuddle on a rainy day. Or maybe on your third date..wink, wink….
Oh, as promised: Hey Lucky13, what’s up?
Thanks for reading,
The Diva Del Mar
