Pitt and Jolie compliment one another perfectly in MR. AND MRS. SMith

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2005)

MR. AND MRS. SMITH (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) meet in Colombia amidst a social upheaval, enjoy a whirlwind romance, and marry rather impulsively, settling into a suburban life. Both hold lucrative but apparently banal jobs, although this is just a veneer for their true careers as professional assassins, which each hides from the other. MR. AND MRS. SMITH (Jane Smith and John Smith) seem to be the perfect couple. Eventually, this secrecy backfires, and they find themselves pitted against each other, despite their attraction. They must decide whether to eliminate each other or team up to defeat their common enemy, apparently their one-time mutual employer. This film might have used the vacuous television formula of espousal teams , such as MACMILLAN AND WIFE, but it manages to dodge that bullet. The acting styles of Pitt and Jolie compliment one another surprisingly well. Neither actor strives to upstage the other; Jolie's vitality and no nonsense persona and Pitt's penchant for quiet understatement make a perfect combination, in scenes of apparent harmony and those of enmity. The pace is very good, too, weaving deftly suspense and humor, much of which is provided by the intermittent frames with a marriage counselor. MR. AND MRS. SMITH also features a great supporting cast, but it does so without cluttering its story unnecessarily. Its soundtrack, especially "Mondo Bongo," performed by the late Joe Strummer (formerly of The Clash) is also a winner, lending alternately energy, poignancy, and ironic humor. The film's only discernible flaw (a minor caveat) is that it slights its explanation of the sinister organization (the villain) for whom the two work.