Jolie and Pitt: The Early Years.

Rating: 8/10 (25 May 2006)

Take The War of The Roses' marital smackdown, mix it with Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid's odd couple, and enjoy. This movie works for two reasons. First, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt make a very convincing couple in both love and loathing. I couldn't imagine Billy Bob Thornton, Johnny Lee Miller, or Jennifer Shimizu instead of Mr. Pitt; or Jennifer Anniston, Gwenyth Paltrow, or Juliette Lewis instead of Mrs. Jolie. Second, the action is, mostly, exciting. The battle between Mr. and Mrs. Smith in their home is a real kick in the head, while the freeway chase fully shows off the adaptability of an SUV. The only disappointments, in my mind, are the lack of a face for the villains, what about Keith David and Angela Bassett, and the bland use of Vince Vaughn. Couldn't his mother and him have been the bad guys, just to give him more to do. A good film to watch on your fifth, or sixth, anniversary.