Allied

Allied really does have all the makings of a great movie. 

Aside from the real-life controversy it stirred of Brad Pitt and the shocking divorce/allegations with his family, it's got two big-time movie stars, a mostly proven director, a historic base of interest, and a really interesting and compelling plot. 

Allied tells the supposedly true story (I imagine it has been exaggerated considerably) of a pair of spies, one French and one Canadian, that fell in love while on an operation in World War II. Eventually they get married and have a child and move to London. It is discovered that the French woman could potentially be a German spy and thus the male Canadian spy must perform a test operation against her. 

None of that is a spoiler as its readily available in the trailers and I think telling the story without revealing the base of the conflict would leave you an uneducated movie-goer. 

On paper it definitely sounds like a taut thriller that would result in an intense and almost cerebral cat-and-mouse game of is-she?/isn't she? The trailer would indicate as much too. So it's a bit unfortunate then that the film lacks much of the tension needed to pull this off, and, it telegraphs its moves so heavily that I was left disappointed with how easily I figured it out. 

Luckily Allied does have a lot going for it to where it's not a total loss. In fact, it's quite an enjoyable movie sans the poor application of intensity. Pitt and Cotillard are fantastic together and do have a noticeable chemistry. They're both gorgeous like the movie stars of old and the fantastic sets and costumes really make this feel like an updated version of a 1950s movie. There's a noticeable elegance throughout the film with these spies, both in their looks, but also their stature and presence. There aren't many times where I feel like I watched an "old-fashioned" film, but Allied is sure one of them. The two of them are convincing, not only in their love for one another, but in their mystery. As spies they're believable, and equally so as a happily married couple. 

"Are we in your dream right now? Where's Leo?"

"Don't die in this dream. Then we go to limbo."
"Brad, we're not in a dream!"

Equally as impressive are the sets and period piece settings/costumes. It really felt like it occurred during the WWII and the "glamour" of that time shines through too. There are some well done action scenes (unfortunately only a few) that are also highly entertaining and probably some of the best scenes of the film. They're also the film's most intense scenes, especially the first one, which is both a compliment to the well-staged action, but a knock against the film's main conflict. As mentioned previously, it's here where the film falters significantly. I can't confidently say that I guessed the ending so I do give it bonus points for that, but I did guess several key aspects of the tale. When I see a movie like that -- one where guessing is part of the fun -- I'm always looking to be wrong. That means to me that the film outsmarted me, sneaked something past me, or diverted my attention enough to where I believed otherwise. I'm not some movie-guessing genius so this isn't super hard, but I do pay attention in films and I know the usual cliches that movies fall into. With Allied, it didn't produce enough counter evidence to the conflict it was trying to create and that right there was its first mistake. I'm clearly not going to spoil things here, but I imagine that it won't fool many moviegoers and those looking for some Nolan-esque twist will be sorely disappointed. Unfortunately, so much of Allied's success relies on this mystery as the crux so when it doesn't necessarily work, the film becomes more forgettable. 

"Oh so it's that type of dream."
"Dear God, Brad. This isn't a dream."

Allied is a competent film though and I certainly can't knock it in the technical department. Cinematography is good most times and great at others. It moves along at a decent pace and in retrospect it feels like a pretty fast 2 hours. It presents itself logically and sequentially and the editing is well done without any awkward spots. I also enjoyed the original score for what it's worth, although it's not really up there with what I'd consider the "best of the year". 

This is a film that depended on its mystery to make it something truly special. For me, personally, that aspect of it wasn't so great. Instead I got more joy out of the big movie stars and classic movie feel that kind of covered up the fact that it too heavily telegraphed itself throughout. As a historical period piece with some big names, it's enjoyable. As the thriller that it's being marketed as, it's rather disappointing. 

CONS:

• Doesn't ever really maintain any tension with the questionable spy aspect
• I felt this was because it telegraphed its moves and really didn't try hard enough to make me, the movie-goer, go back and forth in my head
• Starts off a bit slow and it feels like it takes a while to get to the main aspect of the film
• I'd have liked another action sequence as they were well done

PROS:

• Pitt and Cotillard are great together and feel like classic movie stars in a classic setting
• Features a couple great action beats. Those are the most intense parts of the film
• Great time piece settings and props/costumes. It feels like an old-fashioned film that really took place in that era
• Overall an interesting film with a good plot (despite the lack of mystery) and a solid ending
• Good cinematography and fitting original score

Rath's Review Score | 7/10