Review: Allied

Can Brad Pitt win an award with Allied?
Allied features the temptation of two spies but is this thrilling love affair enough to tempt us to see the film? Or maybe all that buzz about the Pitt-Jolie break up has you reminiscing about Mr. & Mrs. Smith and you’re hoping this will satisfy that itch.

Allied centers on spies sent to assassinate a Nazi ambassador in Casablanca during World War II. Under cover as husband and wife, the two find themselves actually in love. But the idyllic life that the two create in England after completing their mission starts to falter as the two realize their marriage may not be all they were expecting it to be. Accused of being a spy, Marion Cotillard’s character is being investigated by her own husband, played by Brad Pitt. The movie centers on discovering the betrayal, secrets, and mystery surrounding them as they seek to answer whether their marriage is another facade brought on by espionage.

Although the trailers may lead you to believe this is a spy thriller, this movie is really more of a war-torn love story. There may be a layer of intrigue and mystery, but this is not a fast-paced action movie in the slightest. The movie is long and steady, and features very little actual spying. Allied focuses more on the relationship between the two leads. Marion Cotillard truly carries the dialogue in the film and is the reason the film doesn’t fall flat. I was also happy to see an actual French speaker playing the part. The movie also had a lot more funny moments than I would have expected from the genre, which was a pleasant surprise.

The film truly shines when it ramps up the stakes rather than focusing on the minutiae of their relationship. The beginning of the movie is especially riveting and really sets us up for a much more interesting movie than we got. Too much of the film is spent setting up a relationship between the leads, which really slows down the mystery and makes the movie drag on. This focus is not completely unjustified, as the movie features a compelling ending that required a lot of the slower exposition to truly make it shine. But overall, Allied is lucky to have several scenes in particular that pull the film out of the “forgettable” pile.

Allied has some pretty amazing peaks in an otherwise slow movie, which makes it an enjoyable watch but it doesn’t quite reach the benchmark of being a must-see. The ending alone, however, is worth a watch and I think Marion Cotillard certainly deserve praise for her portrayal. If you’re looking for a movie with any real mystery, this is not going to be for you. Instead, set your expectations for a World War II love story rather than a spy thriller.

3 out of 5

What would I have changed? (Spoilers)
Click here to read what I would Change
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Johnny Johnny (Contributor) was born and raised in San Diego. He's been a fan of films the majority of his life. He enjoys the feeling it invokes and the power it has to take you to another place. 

Comments

Stephen Clark said…
I totally agree with Johnny. This movie was a very pleasant love affair, but not much of an action thriller. Still, the actors did a very good job of fleshing out the characters. Although Marion Cotillard carries the film for sure. I'd give it 3.5 stars.
pat said…
Very good story. Not too much excitement
Stephanie Nicole said…
Excellent acting but slow and uneventful story. I thought it would be a lot more intriguing but it was just...there.
Nicole McNeely said…
I really enjoyed the film. The acting by both Marion and Brad was absolutely fantastic. I thought their chemistry was great and the plot was very good.
Nicole Burnett said…
I really enjoyed it. Thought there would be more action, got a bit slow. Was an intriguing story line. Definitely worth seeing. Great characters. 7.
jimorris said…
ALLIED
is skillfully made, but Brad Pitt playing Brad Pitt is a downer. So is the finale. Wait for it on cable.

GRADE = C
Kimberly D said…
I enjoyed it - but it was a bit predictable.
pat said…
Review. Allied. Good story line.
Needed some more action. It originally shows woman as strong willed and smart spy. Then. All of a sudden she can't get rid of a nanny or jeweler who threaten her child. Really. Your child. She should of killer them herself. But at end she kind of redeems herself by killing herself. Like I said good story line but needed some tweaking!!
Christopher Blanton said…
I saw this over the weekend and enjoyed the storyline. It's definitely a lot sadder than I expected, but it was a beautiful story nonetheless
AnnaZed said…
I dunno Johnny, I love these actors and really everyone involved on down to Anton Lesser, but somehow I don't see any Oscar traction here.
Daniel said…
Why does this movie remind me of Brad and Angelina in Mr. and Mrs. Smith?
justsuff said…
I was confused by the trailer for Allied. This review explains a lot.
ceyvn said…
I guess I'll wait to rent it.
joan bush said…
I really like this movie. The ending was not what I was thinking. Might watch this again.
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