Allied

Dir: Robert Zemeckis

2016

***

Robert Zemeckis’s 2016 romantic spy thriller was something of a pleasant surprise but I can’t help but think the visuals probably didn’t match Steven Knight’s original script. I enjoyed it and was entertained throughout but I’m afraid the film as a whole looked just a little bit too cartoon-like to me. There are some impressive special effects – notably the scenes that featured the bombing of London during the Blitz – but these are somewhat spoiled by some rather clunky bits of background CGI that served very little purpose and were easily avoided. We all know how much Zemeckis likes his special effects/CGI/animation but I think he should have reeled it in a bit for this particular story. Indeed, as much as I like the guy, I think the film would have fared better under the direction of someone else. The story isn’t perfect either it has to be said, I really liked the idea but the story is full of plot holes and much is lost from the film jumping to ‘one year later’. I would argue that the main idea is kept alive though, thanks to its quality and uniqueness but especially thanks to the performances. While Bred Pitt is rather lethargic in his performance, I do get the impression his character was meant to be somewhat detached, so in that sense I think he did a good job. It is however, Marion Cotillard who steals the show, this being very much her film. Her performance keeps you guessing right until the end, which is exactly what the film is about. The chemistry between Pitt and Cotillard works very well, there is a lot exchanged between the two without words, something special that only actors of their calibre are capable of. It is clear that the CGI used in the film is to save money and not shoot everything on location but I believe this stops the film from reaching its full potential and what it clearly wanted to achieve. It is clearly meant to be a tribute to the romantic war films of the 1940 and 1950s, its roots are based on a factual story it has been suggested but it is very obviously trying to be the new Casablanca. It even begins in Casablanca. It’s hard to say if this is an obvious oversight or a genuine act of tribute but either way, it is a million miles away from such greatness. It feels like a good attempt at recreating a classic, which is exactly what it is. I thought the details were very good however, having lived near Hampstead I can say they got that right, I’m not sure if people ever openly took cocaine during 1940s parties, but London looked authentic enough. The supporting characters could have been given a little more development, Pitt’s Wing Commander Max Vatan has a sister for instance played by Lizzy Caplan. She is seen only twice in the film but her persona, lesbianism and demeanour are given full attention and made a point of, to absolutely no avail. It’s as if her part was cut and her character originally meant for greater things. Pitt and Cotillard’s relationship sizzles in the first scenes where they first meet but their chemistry makes less sense years later (minutes later as you watch the film). The passing of time doesn’t really work here, it feels like a great television series sandwiched into a 120 minute feature film. The good in the film is clear and worth watching the film for, but the bad will irritate somewhat and will always make you wish they’d spent just that little extra time fine tuning it – which includes filming on location.