What they offer...

Rating: 6/10 (23 June 2005)

I have said that I've fallen asleep during action sequences in movies; and it happened in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". The noise, the energy, the adrenaline are all stuff that should easily keep me awake, or wake me up if I sleep. But it is impossible, even more when they're pointless, like in this movie. As an action film, "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" sucks.
Now you're wondering if it works as the other things it seems to be trying to achieve. The answer is that it could, but lacks the potential in few but important details. It is not a terrible movie, no, but it has its things. Whoever wants to accept those things, because of reasons I'll explain now, there they go; but I can't.
"Mr. & Mrs. Smith" is the typical summer film that arrives at the time of the year where the audience wants to have fun. The package of its type includes two hot and well known stars playing the lead roles, an attempt for chemistry and fun and stuff blowing up everywhere, generally ("Bad Boys II").
All those are nice elements, and even if they work well or not, the package comes with a mix of genres that confuse the ones who look for something more than amusement. It's not that I'm always looking something more than having fun, but when the fun comes from nowhere, I can't laugh. Simon Kinberg's script is a union of unfinished ideas put into paper, including confusing time fixation, incoherent scene connections and very (really) very little plot substance whatsoever. The rest of the team, very familiar to these types of film, makes its best to get the visuals correctly and not to screw up, which turns impossible because of the script and Doug Liman's direction that tends to mock his own style and film. The man has done interesting films; I don't know who dragged him into this.
The thing is that it happens to me with these movies, where I am never satisfied. I couldn't explain what a movie needs to satisfy me right now, but it's never enough. I compare this film with "Hollywood Homicide"; it could have been so much better. There you had Josh Hartnett and Harrison Ford having fun in a stupid story that lasted for two hours. Here, the theme is similar, although ironically opposite (you'll understand if you saw the latter one), and you have the "hot as hell" Angelina Jolie playing Mrs. Smith and the "sex symbol" Brad Pitt playing her husband. We also get well known directors in small roles, the authentic Vince Vaughn (Eddie), who's always nice to see, as Pitt's ally, and my man from "The O.C"; Adam Brody (Benjamin Diaz). He is not given much to do, but for a start he shows his comedic talent in every one of his words. I don't want to say much more, but I find the boy a very promising actor; great things are ahead of him.
The package, as what it tends to achieve, it's perfect. There's an excellent chemistry between the two leads, who besides being hot and well known, are good actors. The best scenes of the piece, where they show their comedic timing, are developed in a marriage consultancy office; you can tell they're both having fun. And the people, yes; they'll attend. There'll be money butWhere's the movie?