Robert Zemeckis has helmed a film that is in every respect worthy of his formidable talent and illustrious filmography. With him in the director's chair, Allied's great production values were more or less expected. The film offers beautiful costuming inspired by Casablanca and Now, Voyager, exhilarating action scenes helped by a protagonist who I see as a humanized James Bond, and a very well-told, poignant story of happiness despite a world gone mad.
Alfred Hitchcock's 39 Steps and I Confess featured Canadian lead characters. I am not a fan of either film, incidentally, but that entirely sensible aspect is refreshingly mirrored by Brad Pitt's Max Vatan. Such cinematic representations should not irk or for that matter amuse anyone. It is not as though we are boringly eking out some meager existence beyond the great frontier.
His talent notwithstanding, I do not recall ever being rah-rah for Brad Pitt, but I greatly appreciate his work here. I really liked Marion Cotillard in Two Days, One Night, and now this very different role. Though Anthony Hopkins once said that he doesn't believe in chemistry between actors, but rather in knowing one's lines, that's too nuts and bolts for me. In the opinion of this cinephile, something very charming is going on here between Pitt and Cotillard.
Steven Knight, of Locke and Pawn Sacrifice, gets the only writing credit. Blessed we are to have this man at work. I wish him many more years of it.
There is a memorable bit of dialogue in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars that goes like so:
Eastwood's Joe: "Everybody talks about Ramón."
Volontè's Ramón: "And many speak of you, too. My dear brother included."
Eastwood's Joe: "Well, I hope they say . . . nice things."
Whether intended as an homage or not, I was happy to hear Pitt's French-speaking Max respond likewise in a well-written establishing scene. One little aspect of a film that impressed and appealed to me in many ways.
Alfred Hitchcock's 39 Steps and I Confess featured Canadian lead characters. I am not a fan of either film, incidentally, but that entirely sensible aspect is refreshingly mirrored by Brad Pitt's Max Vatan. Such cinematic representations should not irk or for that matter amuse anyone. It is not as though we are boringly eking out some meager existence beyond the great frontier.
His talent notwithstanding, I do not recall ever being rah-rah for Brad Pitt, but I greatly appreciate his work here. I really liked Marion Cotillard in Two Days, One Night, and now this very different role. Though Anthony Hopkins once said that he doesn't believe in chemistry between actors, but rather in knowing one's lines, that's too nuts and bolts for me. In the opinion of this cinephile, something very charming is going on here between Pitt and Cotillard.
Steven Knight, of Locke and Pawn Sacrifice, gets the only writing credit. Blessed we are to have this man at work. I wish him many more years of it.
There is a memorable bit of dialogue in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars that goes like so:
Eastwood's Joe: "Everybody talks about Ramón."
Volontè's Ramón: "And many speak of you, too. My dear brother included."
Eastwood's Joe: "Well, I hope they say . . . nice things."
Whether intended as an homage or not, I was happy to hear Pitt's French-speaking Max respond likewise in a well-written establishing scene. One little aspect of a film that impressed and appealed to me in many ways.