The Mexican

Being quite a harsh critic myself, I was surprised to see how badly recieved this film was. Admittably the film tended to drag a little length and was missing something to make it a little more entertaining.

But the film has some interesting characters, situations, and scenery to make this film highly watchable. Pitt and Roberts are good, but have put in much better performances elsewhere. And spend the majority of the film apart. I suspect the main criticisms of this film are mainly to do with high expectations: in having Pitt, Roberts and the Sopranos guy in. But in summary, an alright film - but nothing special.

The story about the pistol is far from interesting. The continuous flashbacks are very boring and make the movie move in an even slower tempo. Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts who play the lovers Jerry and Samantha have absolutely no chemistry together. Julia Roberts usually isn't believable as someone's love interest so I'd blame it on her. How she became part of the A-list is beyond me. She's not Oscar-material (Hollywood obviously disagrees) but I guess one could call her an okay actress. However in this movie Roberts' character Samantha is such a dislikeable person that I have trouble watching any scenes she's in. In all fairness I guess the writers' are more to blame for the character's flaws than Roberts. Throughout the movie Jerry and Samantha fight constantly. Now, I do think that a quarrelling couple can be sexy, passionate and interesting but that unfortunately does not include Jerry and Samantha. I just can't see them either have a past or a future together. Luckily enough Pitt and Roberts only have a few scenes together. However even though Roberts have better chemistry with James Gandolfini her character Samantha is so annoying and boring that I never stand watching their scenes together. Despite Gandolfini's wonderful acting. What I find entertaining (yes, there is actually some good moments) about this movie is Jerry's and his partner Ted's run in with the locals. Brad Pitt's Jerry is a charming fool and J.K. Simmons is perfectly cast as Ted. My favourite scene is the conversation between Jerry and the car thief (Rochard Coca) when Jerry has to shoot him in the foot. The funny moments are unfortunately few and far between and I'd rate this movie a 5 out of 10 or a weak 6.

I'm genuinely surprised at the number of people who disliked this movie. Perhaps because it was a bit disjointed, chaotic, uneven, unpredictable and even incoherent at times. And that's just why I loved it. It's life. Yes, it's the crazy, seedy, shady lives of these people (the main characters being Pitt's and Roberts' characters), but at least it's honest... and darned funny. I thought the self-deprecating jabs at how most Gringos view Mexico/Mexicans were priceless. Raul!! The grainy flashbacks had my sides splitting.

People, this is a classic melodrama told in today's yucky, dirty, gritty, ugly times. A beautiful (if you look closely) story that doesn't take it self seriously at all. This is anything but formula Hollywood hype. It is a genius inside-joke that sandbagged most of the people hoping to come out and see a Pitt/Roberts version of Sleeping in Seattle or some similar chick-flick dreck.

When is enough enough? Never.

GOOD - Story was interesting the first time around.....loved the cinematography; nice Mexican scenery.... liked Brad Pitt's dialog and his character was fun to watch.....enjoyed the few side-bits with the dog and was surprised when Gene Hackman showed up late in the film.

BAD - Julia Roberts ruined this film, at least by the second viewing. She was either yelling at Pitt all the time or gushing over a hit-man who admitted he was gay, and both routines wore thin. She thought (being gay) that was just the greatest thing and really overdid it.

Overall, if you modified Roberts' character into someone less abrasive this might have been a "keeper."

A couple working on the give-and-take aspects of their relationship, an exquisitely crafted antique pistol with something of a diverse history and some questions concerning who is working for whom, all figure prominently in `The Mexican,' a black comedy directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. Jerry Welbach (Pitt), a somewhat less than astute young fellow in thrall to a criminal currently incarcerated, is given a seemingly simply assignment: He is to go to Mexico, where he will rendezvous at a bar in a small town, at which time he will take possession of an invaluable hand-made pistol; he will then transport the item to the States and deliver it to his boss. But there's a problem; his girlfriend, Samantha (Roberts) expects to go to Las Vegas at the same time, and their plans were already made and set in stone. So what is a guy to do? After Sam throws him out of their apartment and Jerry tries to explain-- in a memorable scene with her on the second story balcony, he on the ground looking up-- that if he doesn't do this job they will, well, KILL him, it doesn't make any difference. After all, their trip to Vegas had already been planned, and he promised it would happen. Talk about a guy between a rock and a hard place. And it's only the beginning of a dark comedy of errors and circumstances that ultimately involves them with some double dealings and brings them into contact with a psychotic killer named Leroy (James Gandolfini). Director Verbinski lends a nice touch to the movie, eliciting noteworthy performances from his actors and establishing early on his method of using specific landmarks-- a traffic signal and a cross-roads in the middle of nowhere, for example-- that give context and definition to what is happening, sometimes off-screen (as in the opening scene, when you only `hear' a traffic accident that becomes a pivotal part of the story). He avoids slapstick and plays up the natural, subtle humor that drives the film. The characters are well drawn and the dialogue is clever and witty (`You ‘Forrest Gumped' your way through this...') and often very droll. And he maintains a pace and develops an atmosphere in which the unexpected can be expected that keeps it all moving along nicely and right on track. And there's a politically incorrect sensibility to the movie that is refreshing to see; in real life certain situations and cultures that are foreign to us are often viewed in stereotypical terms, so there is no reason to portray it otherwise in a film, especially when care has been taken to present it in an inoffensive manner, as it is here. Taking on a decidedly unglamorous role, Roberts nevertheless creates a lively character with Sam, imbuing her with plenty of spunk and, of course, that trademark smile. It's not a part that calls for a lot of depth, but she makes Sam likable and fun to watch, and she makes her banter with Jerry and Leroy credible and engaging. Credit goes to Pitt, as well, for making the most of what is actually a leading man/character role; Jerry isn't the sharpest tool in the shed and he may be easily distracted, but-- like Sam-- he's not without some natural charm that makes him quite personable and interesting. And there is a chemistry between the two that makes their relationship believable, especially when the sparks are flying. Gandolfini, meanwhile, not to be outdone by his charismatic co-stars, makes an indelible mark as the sensitive, psychotic killer who turns out to be something of an enigma. The supporting cast includes Bob Balaban (Nalin), David Krumholtz (Beck), Luis Felipe Tovar (Luis) and Gene Hackman (Margolis). A lively romp that takes some unexpected turns, `The Mexican' has a dark side, but manages to remain uplifting and thoroughly entertaining. There's a natural flow to the film and the laughs, generated by both the situations and the characters, are never forced but prompted, rather, by the spontaneity of it all. It's a movie that never pretends to be anything other than what it is, which is pure entertainment. It'll leave you with a smile on your face, some chuckles and some great lines to quote. And that, my friends, is the magic of the movies. I rate this one 8/10.