The theme of Mr. and Mrs. Smith is that pretending to be someone else only causes problems, while being one's self allows one to experience true happiness.

Rating: Null/10 (31 July 2011)

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a film about a married couple, John (Brad Pitt) and Jane (Angelina Jolie), who have grown bored with their seemingly normal lives. The reality is that they both have very exciting lives due to their profession, but they hide it from their spouse which is causing problems. John and Jane are assassins and their next target is each other. John is sent on a mission to find Benjamin Danz (Adam Brody). While Jane is also sent after Benjamin "The Tank" Danz, they do not know that the other is there. This is really a ploy to get them to go after one another. Once they realize who their real target is, the fun really begins. They are very dedicated to their profession and so they begin fighting. They destroy their house in the process, but soon realize the reason that they were married five (or six) years ago. Once John and Jane know that they are both assassins, their lives change. They are no longer bored with their married lives because they are no longer hiding behind fake personas.
The theme of Mr. and Mrs. Smith seems to be that pretending to be someone else only causes problems, while being one's self allows one to experience true happiness. The theme is reflected throughout the Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Once John and Jane know that they are rival assassins they are able to be themselves. They learn much more about the other and are able to become happy with their lives rather than bored. Throughout the movie there are times when it cuts to John and Jane talking with their marriage counselor. As the story progresses, viewers can really see the change in John and Jane's demeanor as they open up as much as they can without revealing everything. The difference between their first and their last session is incredible and paves the way for a promising future. Similar in theme to this film is The Whole Nine Yards, which is another great film.
The angle and lighting used throughout the film creates the feeling of being in the scene with the characters. It also allows viewers to really focus on what is happening in each scene. For example, during the fight between John and Jane at their home, viewers can see from the perspective of John at some points and from Jane at others. When they actually face each other there is a whole new element to the way the camera is angled. Also, when John and Jane are looking for the convoy with Benjamin Danz, the angle that is used allows viewers to focus in on certain aspects of the scene, such as both John and Jane, the scenery, and the convoy. As far as lighting, this film uses it to focus on specific characters or objects throughout the film and to create certain feelings. For example, when John and Jane are fighting at their home, it is dark outside and all of the focus is on what the two characters are doing and how they are using their skill and tactics to attempt to kill the other because of the concentration of the lighting on them. When John and Jane are fighting, viewers can see that although they are assassins they still care about their spouse. If they had shared their secrets earlier, then they would not have been tricked into trying to eliminate each other.