Review: 'Allied' showcases Marion Cotillard's performance prowess
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 124 minutes (~2 hours)
“Allied” is a war romance thriller set during the World War II period.
It revolves around an army officer who falls in love with a spy of of dubious loyalties who wins him over. They live happily ever — until events conspire to cast doubt on his lover’s trustworthiness.
It stars Brad Pitt (Max Vatan), Marion Cotillard (Marianne Beausejour), Jared Harris (Frank Heslop), Matthew Goode (Guy Sangster), and Lizzy Caplan (Bridget Vatan). It is rated M-18.
M-18? It isn’t as raunchy or violent as you might think, though the themes of betrayal and loyalty might take a more mature countenance to appreciate. As the title suggests, “Allied” clearly takes place from the perspective of the Allies of World War II, even as the war aspect slowly loses prominence as the film continues. Then again, this is a film that focuses more on performances than plot, which might be a tad unexpected for those used to the war genre.
Highlights
Marion Cotillard’s amazing performance
Factually, you know that Marianne (Marion Cotillard) is a spy of the highest caliber. But she garners so much empathy from you that you don’t even consider all this evidence. Marion Cotillard tugs on your heartstrings with emotions that seem real but can logically be called into question anytime. The whole conflict of the film rests on her ability to seem genuine and suspicious at the same time, which Marion Cotillard does magnificently.
Mood of distrust
Trust and loyalty is a prominent theme in this film, as with all war films, given form with at least one distrustful character in every scene. It ebbs and flows, of course, and reaches its peak when even Max (Brad Pitt) falls prey to the suspicions that plague his superiors. And with his relationship with Marianne on the line, this changes it from a matter of patriotism to one of family.
Letdowns
Brad Pitt’s woodenness
Max is, understandably, a taciturn sort of fellow. But when the film rests primarily on the shoulders of two characters, it’s difficult to feel for Max because he doesn’t express any visible emotion. It’s conveyed through his actions, but that doesn’t entirely tell us what we want to know. Pitt’s portrayal of Max ends up being a stiff, wooden protagonist rather than a conflicted, introverted one — the way it was written, I’m sure.
Dull colours
The colours are incredibly dreary. It’s a war, times are difficult, the setting can’t be too bright or cheery, I get it. But there’s no need to suck all the colour out of the film and turn it into a depressing tale of war. “Allied” is another film that has gone overboard with its use of filters.
Pacing varies unevenly
“Allied” features some action scenes, but not enough to legitimately call it an action film. The problem is that the scenes are interspersed with scenes of slow romance, and it can be quite jarring to have the film jump from tone to tone like this. The severe contrast makes the movie almost slow at times, even if energy and action-wise, it isn’t.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Okay.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? No.
Score: 2.9/5
“Allied” opens in cinemas:
– Singapore (5 January, 2017)
– Malaysia (24 November, 2016)
– Philippines (23 November, 2016)
