Allied

Although espionage films aren't one of the oldest genres Hollywood has to offer, it is certainly one of audience's favorites. One thing about this genre is that it can be presented as a drama or a comedy which makes it more versatile than some other genres. What makes "Allied" intriguing is that it is basically centered around a couple that get caught up in the world of betrayal and Nazism in a WWII period.

 

In 1942, an intelligence officer in Northern Africa, one Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) encounters a female French Resistance fighter, Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. When they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war.

In this WWII spy thriller, Airman Max and Marianne pose as a married couple for a dangerous mission in Casablanca. Their cover story soon leads to an actual love affair and their starting a family together, but Max's happiness is shattered when an S.O.E. official  (Simon McBurney) and Max's friend, Frank Heslop (Jared Harris) tells him that he must take part in an investigation to determine whether Marianne is really a double agent working for the Nazis.

 

Others to round out the cast are Lizzy Caplan as Bridget Vatan, Max's sister, Matthew Goode as Guy Sangster, Sally Messham as Margaret, Daniel Betts as George Kavanaugh, Marion Bailey as Mrs. Sinclair, Charlotte Hope as Louise, Josh Dylan as Captain Adam Hunter and Thierry Fremont as Paul Delamare.

 

This was directed by veteran Robert Zemeckis ("Used Cars" '80, "Back to the Future" '85, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" '88, "Back to the Future Part II" '89, "Back to the Future Part III" '90, "Death Becomes Her" '92, "Forest Gump" '94, "Contact" '97, "What Lies Beneath" 2000, "Cast Away" 2000, "Polar Express" '04, "A Christmas Carol" '09, "Flight" '12, "The Walk" '15) plus others. What interests me is that, besides "What Lies Beneath", this film is somewhat uncharted territory for Zemeckis. He normally delves into films with a special process involved where the film is either comedy or has a number of comic reliefs in them. This is petty much a straight on board drama, which makes it all the more intriguing. I can truly respect a filmmaker that is willing to go outside their comfort zone and try something either new or that isn't as familiar. Zemeckis keeps the audience on the edge of their seats with this indeed. This is written with expertise we've come to expect from the likes of Steven Knight ("Eastern Promises" '07, "Redemption" '13, "Locke" '13, "The Hundred-Foot Journey" '14, "Pawn Sacrifice" '14, "Seventh Son" '14, "Burnt" '15) plus others and TV. By his very resume, it's no wonder why he's considered one of my favorite screenwriters. This writer knows how to write an effective script. Other than a very small area of slowness--and that could have been intentional, this storyline soared. One of my favorites of his screenplays has got to be "Locke". Look it up if you haven't seen it. Both Pitt and Cotillard's chemistry was spot on and the supporting cast was solid.

 

This isn't your average or typical spy or espionage film what with the film centering on a couple more than the 'big picture' itself. So if your yearn is for creative character development, this film will certainly fit the bill.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                 Rated: R                                      125mins.