The Mexican is one of the most hyped films of the year, boasting a cast including Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. You would think, therefore, that with such big names, the film is bound to be at the very least likeable. Unfortunately, this is not true.
The plot surrounds a man (Pitt) who must work for the mob to pay off a debt to them. Every job he has done so far he has failed, and he has one chance to make this right. He must go to Mexico to retrieve an infamous and supposedly cursed pistol. The only problem is, that his girlfriend (Roberts), with whom he is constantly fighting , says that if he goes, she is going to Las Vegas and is not coming back. Also, Pitt is not the only one who wants this pistol, and faces a lot of competition.
The first problem with the film was the hype built up surrounding it. People thought that this could be one of the best films of the year, as it has such a great cast. Which moves me on to my second flaw: Big Names Don’t Make A Movie. They may hype it up a bit, but they don’t make it good. Pitt and Roberts, to be honest, are better when they are apart, which is actually most of the film. Their on-screen bonding does not work very well, and, on occasion actually made me cringe.
The next factor was the film’s length. So many twists and turns (which are predictable by the way) leave the film lasting just over two hours, where it could have ended half an hour earlier. The film’s only redeeming feature is James Gandalfini (Tony in The Sopranos), who plays a hitman, Leeroy, who is also after the pistol, and has a few personal ’issues’ of his own.
Overall, The Mexican dissapoints on a number of levels. If you are looking for a good film, don’t go and see it. If you are looking for a romantic comedy, don’t go and see it. If you are looking for a film simply with Brad Pitt or Julia Robertrs in it, I suppose this would do.