a bright comedy about marriage

Rating: 8/10 (20 August 2005)

I think many married couples would appreciate an angle at which long-term relationships are shown in this movie -- spouses as hidden assassins who do not know much about each other is an interesting analogy. This movie is a great entertainment, although has weaknesses -- some scenes are too protracted. As some reviewers noted, the plot is not always believable -- nothing is wrong about it! Most of Hollywood movies are fairy tales by nature, just expressed in modern language and making use of modern technology. But the essence and purpose of a fairy tale has not changed over centuries. Nobody would expect a fairy tale to be exactly realistic, so why take comedy plot twists too explicitly? The analogy can be extended -- the characters are somewhat simplified, so the actors play more types than persons, the situation as a whole is implausible, etc. But the film has a very strong drive, Pitt and Jolie are a perfect duet, the humor is sharp and the tale has its moral. I believe this film would both entertain and make you think for a minute (or more) how strange are manifestations of life.