The Mexican

Plot synopsis:
Brad Pitt has been working for a mobster who is in prison because Pitt accidentally ran a red light and hit the mobster's car. When the police arrived, they found a body in the mobster's trunk. The guy was alive but was obviously going to be murdered. The mobster was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Pitt has been forced to work for the mobster to pay for having caused him to go to prison.Julia Roberts is Pitt's girlfriend and they have been having difficulties with their relationship. Roberts now wants to go to Vegas but Pitt has to make one last trip for the mobster or he will be killed. Roberts throws Pitt out and heads to Vegas alone and Pitt heads to Mexico on his last mission.Pitt has been given orders by the 2nd in command (Bob Balaban) to pick up a gun called "The Mexican" and bring it back. Pitt gets to Mexico and picks up the gun but unfortunately, the man he gets it from is accidentally killed by a stray bullet fired during a Mexican celebration.Pitt calls Balaban and reports the problem and while he's on the phone, his car is stolen, gun and all. Pitt sets out after the car to try and retrieve the gun.Meanwhile, on the way to Vegas Roberts is in a restroom when a gunman grabs her and before anything happens, James Gandolfini saves her by shooting the man. Gandolfini claims that he is working for the mobster and that his name is Leroy. He is a very sensitive, gay psychotic killer who is there to protect Roberts.They get to Vegas and along the way Gandolfini picks up a gay postal worker who spends a romantic evening with Gandolfini. In the morning Roberts and Gandolfini go out for breakfast and while they're eating, the gunman goes to their hotel room and kills the postal worker by throwing him off the balcony. Roberts and Gandolfini get back and this time Gandolfini shoots the man in the head to kill him for good.Roberts and Gandolfini are told by Balaban to head to Mexico and meet Pitt because things have gone wrong.In Mexico, Pitt has recovered the gun and then lost it a second time. A man from the mob has come down to help him. Pitt knows the man had been sent to kill him so he tricks the man, gets the gun and drives to the airport to leave Mexico. Unfortunately, Pitt has the wrong passport and can't get on his flight. He goes back to the small town where he left the man handcuffed, but he's gone.Gandolfini and roberts meet up with Pitt and for some reason, Pitt does not tell him he has the gun but will take him to where it's hidden. Pitt has an argument with Roberts and nearly wrecks the car causing a blowout. While Pitt is changing the tire, Gandolfini pulls a gun on him. Roberts is furious with Pitt and has been walking away. Pitt hasn't seen Gandolfini's gun yet but Gandolfini sees Roberts walking away and puts his gun away. He knows that Roberts loves Pitt and he just can't kill him.Gandolfini helps Pitt change the tire and now Pitt pulls a gun on Gandolfini. Gandolfini sees the gun in the reflection on the hubcap and turns to fire but Pitt shoots first and kills Gandolfini.It seems that Pitt had once met Leroy and knew that Gandolfini was not who he claimed to be. He realized that he was there to kill him. Roberts is extremely upset but Pitt and her stay together trying to decide what to do now.In their hotel room, Pitt looks out the window and see someone trying to break into his car. the same person that stole it the first time. He goes down to stop him and is punched in the face (twice) and knocked out.He is driven to a very nice ranch house and there he meets the mob boss who has been let out of prison - Gene Hackman.In prison Hackman was befriended by the grandson of the ranchowner. the son was killed saving the life of Hackman in prison. The ranch owner is the grandson of the man who made "The Mexican."We are now told the true legend of The mexican. It was made by a gunsmith as a gift to a rich noble so the nobleman's son would marry his daughter. Unfortunately, the daughter was in love with the gunsmith's assistant. On the wedding day the nobleman's son is presented with the gun and it fails to work. He notices his future bride and the assistant staring at each other. He realizes they are in love and shoots and kills the assistant. The girl picks up the gun, puts it to her head and shoots herself. The gun contained two bullets, one of which has now been used.Hackman has been trying to get the gun to give it back to the rightful owner, the great grandson. Balaban has been trying to get it to sell for profit.Roberts is back in the hotel room and has the gun tied to her leg when Balaban appears on the balcony. Roberts hides between 2 mattresses.We next see Pitt and some Mexican employees of the ranchowner driving into town. Balaban is standing beside his car and asks Pitt where the gun is. Pitt says only Roberts knows and Balaban opens the trunk to reveal Roberts. Unfortunately for Balaban, when he opens the trunk, Roberts has the gun pointed right at him. She shoots the 2nd and last bullet, hitting him in the throat. We hardly know he's been shot until he opens his mouth and smoke comes out.The ranchhands take the gun back to the ranch and a brass ring that had fallen off the gun is picked up by Pitt. He uses it as a wedding band and places it on Roberts finger.The final scene shows the two of them driving off - arguing...

Tags: comedy, boring, murder, flashback, revenge, storytelling

Review:
Personally I had a very good time watching this movie, but it seems like I'm one of the few.
I know, it's not done to say that you liked to see Julia Roberts play a certain role and Brad Pitt can never be good as a comical actor...
A couple working on the give-and-take aspects of their relationship, an exquisitely crafted antique pistol with something of a diverse history and some questions concerning who is working for whom, all figure prominently in `The Mexican,' a black comedy directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt.
Director Verbinski lends a nice touch to the movie, eliciting noteworthy performances from his actors and establishing early on his method of using specific landmarks-- a traffic signal and a cross-roads in the middle of nowhere, for example-- that give context and definition to what is happening, sometimes off-screen (as in the opening scene, when you only `hear' a traffic accident that becomes a pivotal part of the story).
And there's a politically incorrect sensibility to the movie that is refreshing to see; in real life certain situations and cultures that are foreign to us are often viewed in stereotypical terms, so there is no reason to portray it otherwise in a film, especially when care has been taken to present it in an inoffensive manner, as it is here.
Credit goes to Pitt, as well, for making the most of what is actually a leading man/character role; Jerry isn't the sharpest tool in the shed and he may be easily distracted, but-- like Sam-- he's not without some natural charm that makes him quite personable and interesting.
I suspect the main criticisms of this film are mainly to do with high expectations: in having Pitt, Roberts and the Sopranos guy in.
Luckily, it was.Brad Pitt gives a sweet performance as Jerry, the accident prone hero, but the best part of the movie is the chemistry between Julia Roberts as Sam and James Gandolfini as Leroy - an unlikely relationship between a kidnapper and a kidnappee (is that a word?).
Take "All About Steve" (cute dysfunctional romcom), toss in "3 Days in the Valley" (gritty crime drama), a little bit of "Silver Streak" (roadcom) and a hint of "Deathtrap" or possibly "Fargo" (dark comedy), then whip them all mercilessly with an eggbeater until it's unrecognizable, bake at 425 degrees for 2 hrs 3 mins, and there you have "The Mexican".If you enjoyed all the films I mentioned above, you'll like this.
It's polished, as any Hollywood flick with Brad Pitt & Julia Roberts would be, but it's quirky and odd enough to set itself apart from the others.
The story is about a lovable loser (Brad Pitt) and his crazy therapy-inducing girlfriend (Julia Roberts) who end up trapped in a bloody battle to get a cursed gun known as "The Mexican".
Roberts Ruined It. GOOD - Story was interesting the first time around.....loved the cinematography; nice Mexican scenery....
liked Brad Pitt's dialog and his character was fun to watch.....enjoyed the few side-bits with the dog and was surprised when Gene Hackman showed up late in the film.BAD - Julia Roberts ruined this film, at least by the second viewing.
Well written (despite what others here have said), well directed (except for the pace which got slow), well acted (both Roberts and Pitt were believable and very funny, and Gandolfini was funny and touching).
Pitt and Roberts were a good match, and James Gandolfini really was the best part of this movie.
People, especially Roberts fan want to see her in specific movies playing certain roles to make themselves feel better.
The Mexican--Brad Pitt & Julia Roberts...hmmmm.
If the movie trailers had Brad Pitt in close-ups, shots of his pretty face, typical Hollywood fare to market, they should have gone this route to get people in the theater.
This is really a movie about relationships and that always sells IF lame suits knew what they were doing which is incredible--all that effort to make a movie and the suits don't even know what it really is about working in the business sector of the "biz"This move also has a great B class of actors; James Gandolfini, Gene Hackman, a new character actor J.K. Simmons, Bob Balaban (people would recognize from a Seinfeld episode)Good movie--see it!.
The trailers do this film no justice at all since they imply that it will be another 'Pulp Fiction' type movie with stylish characters, witty dialogue, dark humor and over the top violence played for sinful pleasures and shock value.
Being a huge movie buff, and a fan of Brad Pitt, I had incredible expectations for this flick, but they were all shot down, beginning with Julia Roberts' annoying scene where she tosses all of Brad Pitt's stuff out a window in a fit of rage.
Now, I am one of those people who enjoy most movies with over the top silly humor like Monty Python, Road Trip or Deuce Bigalow, and I love to laugh for the simple point of laughing, even if the material isn't exactly up to Python brilliance, but how can someone think that "I need a ride-o in your truck-o to the el town-o" is the least bit funny?
No such luck here.With a film with Brad Pitt and James Gandolfini (and though I don't like her, Julia Roberts) one would think that the movie would be good, if not great.
Julia Roberts made me want to take the television and throw it out the window, she played the most annoying character I have seen in quite some time.
On the surface this might appear to be a relatively entertaining film since it stars two big names , but stop to consider the careers of both Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt .
Roberts was unbelievably lucky to have won the Oscar for ERIN BROCKOVICH while Pitt is obviously a film star due to his sexy boy looks .
You're right i'm slightly jealous of Pitt's physique and his face and even more jealous still that he's made a massively successful career out of it and like everything else he's appeared in THE Mexican shows Pitt is not much of an actor The plot revolves around gangster Jerry Walbach being sent down to Mexico by the mob to collect an antique firearm called " The Mexican " and while he's away his girlfriend Samantha is kidnapped by a hit-man called Winston Baldry who also wants to get his hands on The Mexican .
This is a mistake because the comedy should come out of the situations the characters find themselves in not by Roberts and Pitt mugging for the camera , shouting or waving their arms about trying to convince the audience that this is a funny film .
Anything that prolongs the running time of this movie receives harsh judgement from me THE Mexican is a comedy that I found to be far from entertaining .
His colleague Julia Roberts is also working this movie off, so the only person who's actually acting is James Gandolfini.
Although we have here some universal messages about love, hit-man who's very emotional (strange for hit-man even though he's gay) and cameo role from great Gene Hackman; this is really movie that you can easily skip unless you're in love with Brad Pitt or you just want to watch a movie without innovative story..
Julie Roberts character seemed like she would be more at home on the set of Friends, no doubt to make Brad Pitt feel more at home.
An inept criminal(Brad Pitt)promises his girlfriend(Julia Roberts)that he will change his ways after one last job.
Meanwhile, Samantha finds herself taken hostage by a gay hit man with a heart named Leroy (James Gandolfini of "Get Shorty" and TV's "The Sopranos"), who -- by following all of the Hollywood cliches -- is an amiable, likable guy who wouldn't harm a fly.The advertising for "The Mexican" had it all wrong.
The movie is too wish-washy -- sometimes it wants to be the next gritty comedy ("Trainspotting") and sometimes it's aiming for cute gimmicks and completely silly characters.And then, even worse than trying jokes and failing, "The Mexican" never even strives to give us funny moments.
The most pathetic dialogue mixed with real bad performances from Roberts and Pitt in worst written and directed story this millenium.
The Mexican had potential, i've have no doubt about that; Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and James Gandolfini are all more than capable performers, and have proved it over time.
She gives him the old heave ho as he leaves for Mexico.But just to make sure Pitt follows through, Roberts is kidnapped and held hostage by James Gandolfini, a gay hit man with whom she bonds rather strangely with.
The Mexican is a film that was made more than likely for no other reason than let's team Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts and get some real box office out of it.
James Gandolfini comes out best in this film.Still fans of Pitt, Roberts, and the Sopranos might like it.
But it's been ruined in production - Pitt in particular is awful with his wooden delivery and crude attempts at slapstick sitting unhappily with the rest of the film and decent acting in parts from Roberts and, particularly, Gandolfini.
Brad Pitt was about a 2 out of 10 and Julia Roberts - though I think the script can be blamed more than she can - was somewhere in negative numbers on that scale.
James Gandolfini walksaway with the film, Brad and Julia are pretty (big surprise) andbarely earn their TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS!!!
Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts should really be ashamed to collect any money for "working" in it.
The Mexican is one of those movies which are only worried in showing two Hollywood stars working together.These actors are Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.Brad Pitt is an extraordinary actor when he has great material to work with,like he showed in Kalifornia,Interview with the vampire,12 monkeys and Fight club.But,when he has such a poor material like in this movie,he does not bring a good performance.Julia Roberts is an extremely overrated actress.It seems that she's always acting the same character.The movie is too long and it really bored me.If you wanna see two Hollywood stars working together and nothing else,watch this movie.But if you wanna see a good comedy,watch another movie..
The only good thing about this movie was seeing Brad Pitt..
One to watch if you are a Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts fan only I would say, or perhaps you are suffering from insomnia !.
After an atrocious opening--Julia Roberts squabbling with boyfriend Brad Pitt over a balcony in a parking lot--"The Mexican" improves, even comes up with some clever and funny bits of throwaway comedy.
Although her performance is uneven, Roberts really shines in her scenes with gay hit-man James Gandolfini--so much so that when she's paired up again with Pitt, we miss her happy spark.
Great if you don't expect a Pitt/Roberts romantic film.
This is a great film which was largely victimized by having Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts cast as leads.
One part consists of Pitt's character looking for a gun called "The Mexican."  This portion contains the majority of the comedic aspects of the film.
This portion contains the sensitive aspects of the film where Roberts and Gandolfini struggle to understand love and their own personal relationships.This film is funny and serious at the same time, and the acting is very good.
I enjoyed this movie a lot, it was fast-paced, intriguing, well acted, good plot, ample humor, and lots of chemistry between Julia Roberts and both Brad Pitt and James Gandolfini.
Julia Roberts (Samantha Barzel) plays the 'I-want-my-relationship-to-work', desperately seeking solace girlfriend, with her can't-live-with-can't-live-without half-witted hard-luck can't-do-anything-right-boyfriend  Jerry Welbach (Brad Pitt), and finds comfort and understanding with the help of a relation-trouble-gay-hit-man, Winston Baldry (James Gandolfini), who is, in fact, supposed to kill her.Sounds confusing?Well then sit down and enjoy the 'ride', brilliantly directed by Gore Verbinski, with this sometimes clumsy, yet intricate romance-comedy.
The two stars lead different sides of the plot line through most of the movie showing they are two different people seeing the situation in their own way, and then they come together and tumble into each other as they try to express their love.
The fact that Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt have hardly any screen time together is a good thing as they have no chemistry whatsoever and give better performances when they are seperated.
All in all, i would have to say i liked Jerry's storyline better than Sams, it was a lot more fun and served the film a lot better, i felt myself getting bored by sams side of the story which wasn't good because i am a fan of Julia Roberts.
Brad pitt and Julia Roberts are good as the fighting couple who come of their relationship as they try to get together.
Many complain that Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt share little screen time together, but this is a plus.
Julia Roberts has much more chemistry with James Gandolfini then she does with Brad Pitt.
It was a completely entertaining film that showed great chemistry between Julia, Brad and Jim Gandolfini.
Go see 'The Mexican' It's a fun mix of romance, drama, comedy, and violence that houses stellar performances by all those involved -- particularly Brad Pitt.
The characters played by Pitt and Roberts spend most of the film separated -- probably a good thing, since they would likely run out of things to do fairly quickly -- and the story has more violence and stunning plot twists than anticipated.Pitt plays a young tough in thrall to a crime boss sent on one last job into Mexico to fetch a beautiful historic pistol with a curse on it.
Pitt gets stuck in Mexico with big problems trying to find, and then hold onto, the gun.The real center of the movie is the growing relationship between Roberts and her primary captor, "Leroy," played with much depth as well as humor by James Gandolfini.The soundtrack is perky and amusing, and there's a lovely running visual gag with traffic stoplights.
When I saw the previews for this movie, I just couldn't believe that Brad Pitt had stooped to the usually-low depths of a Romantic comedy, especially after his AMAZING roles in quirky movies like "Fight Club" and "Snatch." However, "the Mexican" is FAR from any ordinary Romantic comedy...it's Romance meets a bit of black comedy meets Tarantino (with a bit more feeling) meets a great tale.
I usually expect more from Brad Pitt since he seems to have good sense about what movies he does.
What follows is a mixture of comedy, caper movie and a vicious satire on relationship therapy culture.Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts are excellent in their roles, particularly Pitt, who manages to give his character no cool or clue.
I am a huge Brad Pitt fan and have been looking forward to this movie for a long time!
I thought it was great...Brad and Julia Roberts have a lot of chemistry, even though they weren't together in the movie for very long.
I accepted them, I watched the movie and I had a great time.By the way, James Gandolfini is just great.
James Gandolfini as a gay hitman, Julia Roberts as her perennial self, and Brad Pitt as an emasculated dimwitted bumbling gangster!?!
It's great and it's lame compared to what it could have been.Brad Pitt makes it work most of all, and his half of the movie playing off of clichés of Mexican life, especially as seen through the movies, is funny and whacked.
Julia Roberts disgusting, Brad Pitt horrible.
what a waste of time o my god, how stupid can a movie be and the plot was horrible, god, brad pitt and julia roberts are a bad match, especially for this movie, NOBODY and i mean nobody waste 2 hours on seein this, it was 100% awful.
Now, in conclusion, if you like Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts, I highly recommend this excellent crime caper flick which will have you smiling from start to finish..
This is a popcorn movie with aspirations to quality, but it fails on either level.The romance doesn't work, because we're not made to care about the characters played by Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt; the humour doesn't work, because the movie's trying way too hard to be "hip"; and the attempts at serious moments don't work, because almost nothing in the movie has anything to do with reality.The only thing this has going for it is James Gandolfini, and I'm not just saying that because he's gorgeous.
Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts who play the lovers Jerry and Samantha have absolutely no chemistry together.
However even though Roberts have better chemistry with James Gandolfini her character Samantha is so annoying and boring that I never stand watching their scenes together.
The movie had good actors in it such as Brad Pitt,Julia Roberts, and James Gandolfini.
Brad Pitt was pretty funny in this movie and James Gandolfini was really good as the bad gay guy with a pretty good heart.
It's a shame because, like it or not, Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt are great actors.But a movie is only as good as its screenplay, even if studios honestly believe that its the cart that leads the horse to the box office.
How could two great stars like Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt consent to star in this loser of a movie?
Brad Pitt stars as an accidental bumbling low-level criminal along with Julia Roberts, his love interest in this serio-comical, slow-moving action adventure movie.
Its a good movie with Brad Pitt in it.
And the hilarious and brilliant comedic acting of Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts make this flick really a treat.