I want to start off by saying that I absolutely loved Robert Zemeckis's last film, The Walk, and consider it among his best films. So I was very curious to see what he would do with Allied, which is his first attempt at tackling the spy thriller genre.
First, I'll mention the main thing I liked about the film, and that's Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. Both had great chemistry and really sold me as spies who were falling in love with each other. Their chemistry only deepens as the film progresses, so that when Max is faced with the disturbing reality that Marianne could be a German spy, we actually feel concern for what might happen to them.
Brad Pitt gained a lot of critcism for his aloof performance, with many people complaining that he barely says a word in a number of scenes. So he must be phoning it in, right? Well, here's the thing...Max is sullen, a man of few words, but this just made his character all the more enigmatic and believable. He's not a suave James Bond type who fears nothing and always has a witty remark on the tip of his tongue. He's a spy who takes his job seriously, who understands that one wrong word could mean life and death. This is how Max is intended to be, and Brad Pitt does an excellent job of conveying subtle emotion beneath Max's cold persona. Marianne, on the other hand, is his total opposite. She thrives on socializing and befriending the enemy to shroud her true identity. She's elegant and affable, but hides a calculated coldness that makes her character both suspicious and alluring. It's this contrast between Max and Marianne that makes their scenes together so tense, enjoyable, and interesting.
As far as suspense goes, the film contains a couple good action scenes, and Zemeckis maintains a decent level of tension throughout, sometimes giving it an almost Hitchcock like feel. Zemeckis toys with us, constantly sowing deeds of doubt as to whether Marianne is good or bad; and just when Max thinks he's stumbled on to the truth, he hits a road block that only leads to more questions.
The costumes and set pieces are authentic and pleasing to look at, lending to the overall Casablanca, film-niorish atmosphere. The costume designs are why the film was nominated for an Oscar, and I think the nomination was well deserved..
OK, time for the things I didnt like. Zemeckis relies too much on digital effects at times, which was one of the few flaws I found with his previous film. A moving and heartfelt scene shows Max and Marianne sitting together in the desert, revealing intimate details about themselves. The desert background is clearly green screened in, and even though the effect isn't horrible, it still distracts from the importance of the moment. In another example, we see a faraway shot of a fake looking, CG Max parachuting to the ground. This totally took me out of the scene and was one of those "Aha!" moments. I know they were probably trying to save money, but c'mon! At least make it look halfway convincing. They should have gotten Tom Cruise to play the role - he would have performed the stunt himself darn it!
Another distracting element is the modern day mentalities displayed by most of the characters. The F word is used on a regular basis, by both men and women. Back in the 40's, this word wasn't as sociably acceptable as it is today, so hearing it so frequently felt out of place. Also, Max's sister happens to be a lesbian who's openly in a relationship with another woman; nobody seems to mind or question this, which is unusual for the time period. I'm not saying everyone was against gays and lesbians; in WW2, gays and lesbians were later accepted into military service without question, since the military needed every able body they could to contribute to the war effort. Still, the homosexual lifestyle was much less embraced back then than it is today. These historical inconsistencies rob the film of authenticity and distort the time period our story inhabits. Which is sad, because Robert Zemeckis did such a fantastic job recreating the past in his Back to the Future series.
The film is also guilty of being a bit cheesy at times; for instance, Max and Marianne make love in a car that's parked in the desert, during a heavy sandstorm. They kiss and grope each other passionately as the turbulent wind blows against them. The scene tries to be steamy and romantic, but just comes off as laughable and silly. Same with ( Minor Spoiler Alert ) the part where Marianne gives birth to their child amid a German air raid. Nurses yell for her to breath, breath, breath as explosions and debris erupt all around them. I got a big laugh out of these scenes, but others might be put off by their corniness.
Final Thoughts
As long as you don't take it too seriously, Allied is an entertaining Thriller/Romance that has a satisfying and unpredictable conclusion. The problem is, it yearns to be taken seriously, but throws in too many cheesy moments and historical inaccuracies for its own good. My verdict: enjoyable enough for a few viewings, but doesn't have the rewatchability appeal that Zemickis's better films have.
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