ALLIED Review

There is much to be said for Allied-a film that desperately wants to pay proper respects to its influences of yesteryear, but there is an equal amount with this most prestige of all prestige pictures (at least based on its credentials and story, if not the awards attention it will never receive) that goes unsaid in ways that leave the viewer hoping for more, but receiving very little. The costume drama/wartime romance that is Allied is a film that should, by definition of those involved, be something of a rejuvenation of the genre rather than one that follows the rules of it for mediocre results. With the likes of Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Cast Away, The Polar Express) directing one would expect the film to take the preconceptions of the time period and the genre and apply them to a unique or at least more interesting way of capturing this material, but if anything Zemeckis actually plays things as straight as possible delivering not necessarily a bad movie, but a safe if not masterfully made one. If there is one thing Allied excels at it is letting the viewer know how good looking its two stars are in multiple, era-appropriate fashions while also seeming to overly focus on just how young Brad Pitt is still capable of looking. Granted, there is clearly some type of digital touching up to Pitt's face, but why bother outside of keeping in step with the overall glossy aesthetic of the picture is unclear. Moreover, the dazzling aesthetic, impressive set designs, and elegant costumes would all still be just as appreciated and impressive if not more so if they weren't so much of what the film has going for it. Instead, they are the prime focus of positives as the narrative feels somewhat lacking despite being a genuinely intriguing premise from which certain, very specific tensions can be spurned. In essence, Allied is a missed opportunity to make an old school war drama through the lens of modern filmmaking, but as the key element that is the story doesn't remain consistent in the high stakes of the drama it seems to so thoughtlessly spin Allied never manages to feel substantial in any way, shape, or form thus leaving the viewer with a decent movie-going experience, but certainly not a memorable one. 

Teaser Trailer for ALLIED Starring Brad Pitt

After releasing the first still from the film earlier in the week Paramount Pictures has now released a first look at the new film from director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Cast Away) starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. While that list of credentials is more than impressive and enough to make me want to see this original World War II spy thriller what is really enticing is the fact Steven Knight (Locke, Eastern Promises) has penned the screenplay from a story that was told to him at the age of twenty-one and that he has carried around with him ever since. Per Collider, Knight said regarding the story, "This is a very odd story. I was in Texas working as a dishwasher and doing all sorts of weird things. I was going out with an English girl at the time and her auntie lived in Texas, and she got talking about her brother who had been in the S.O.E., the British Secret Service if you like, and she told me this story that just stayed with me. I’ve always known it would be a film, and now it’s gonna be the ultimate.” The idea of a wholly original story not based in any documented fact with a time period setting, starring one of this generations most iconic leading men and directed by one of our most diverse filmmakers is nothing to scoff at. In a time when movies are greenlit based on franchise potential and brand recognition to have a movie such as this come to us from a major studio with major stars no matter if it's in the midst of Oscar season or not, is beyond enticing. Personally, this just shot to the top of my most anticipated list as, even though Pitt has starred in a string of WWII films at this point, anything the guy does is inherently intriguing given he tends to work with both prominent and interesting directors that like to push the boundaries of where narrative filmmaking has been before starting with the most important element: the story. Allied also stars Lizzy Caplan, Matthew Goode, Jared Harris, Charlotte Hope, Raffey Cassidy, Raphael Acloque, and opens on November 23rd, 2016.