Allied

Movie doesn't only have an interesting story but also have beautiful scenes and frames. Brad Pitt's preformance can not go unnoticed. The movie is able to capture intensity of being a spy.

I'm not a big fan of these WW-type films, any only decided to watch it as I'm a Brad Pitt fan. Well I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised! The chemistry between Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard was convincing as they played their characters exceptionally. The winner here is the directing and writing - executed perfectly with great cinematography and editing. The pace was a little slow but the excellent ending made up for it! Very enjoyable and it's a 8/10 from me.

A very enjoyable film with beautiful cinematography and excellent performances. The overall production values are excellent, as you might expect from the headline talent. The story poses a unique premise and keeps you hooked until everything is revealed in the end. In an age where special effects have taken over, it's refreshing to watch a film that mainly cares about characters and complex human situations. Yet for anyone wanting to see war action, you'll get plenty of that as well. The stars themselves and the costumes all look stunning. Yes almost too stunning at times, but it's so glorious to look at you can forgive the film-makers for that. Some ridiculous negative reviews prevented me from seeing this in theatres, which I now regret. Tosh from Marvel keeps scoring high on RT, but then you see it and it's complete garbage about crystals (every movie, seriously). Films like Allied deserve more serious attention. Overall, well worth a look!

The film started off well.....even though I knew there would be a plot development coming later regarding the possibility of the wife being a spy for the Nazis. I didn't mind the story of how the two leads got together and ended up in Hampstead in the middle of the war. I didn't mind waiting for the crisis to come up where Brad Pitt doesn't know if his wife is a spy or not. But once it does come up, Brad undertakes some pretty far fetched ventures that could undermine the Allies' security even in order to find out. I was even overlooking that. What finally tore it was the way Brad's wife played by Marion Cotillard handles her own dilemma and crisis. She could have sought help or guidance from Brad OR his superiors, totally versed in the very areas she was struggling with. It indicates that she did not trust her husband in spite of the lovey dovey marriage portrayed. Either that, or she was simply a wimp and a wuss. This made the whole movie rather unbelievable. As for the ending of the film with the letter to her daughter especially, that was superfluous and heavy on the treacle, a very obvious attempt to tug at heartstrings in case the audience doesn't already GET that she really loved her daughter. Last straw, by this time I really didn't care for the film.

"Allied' is the anti 'Casablanca'. Robert Zemekis is no Michael Curtiz. "Allied' begins in Casablanca in 1942. It is a Casablanca made out of full cloth. In 1942, Casablanca was a thriving port city, yet we see camels and nomads dressed as though they're in a Christmas pantomime. We are told after a man, a European man makes love to his wife, he repairs to the roof to cool his libido. Utter rot. This is a Casablanca of a fertile but poetic bent, but hardly factual. Didn't anyone bother to note that the US liberated French Morocco in 1942? Did anyone bother to not put Casablanca close to the Sahara desert? Camels, exotic costume had a more appropriate place in Goulimine,once the prosperous camel market of Morocco. And the tale goes from fancy to silliness as it is obvious from the opening scenes that Cotillard is a German agent.

Overall,it's a pretty good movie. I just love the style of the picture. Generally that World War 2 era has that glamorous style to it, and leave it to Robert Zemeckis to add that extra kick. Although I've Seen better costumes but this maybe because Canada did not have the best uniforms out of the WWII crowd. And that made this movie strangely interesting. The 1st movie I ever seen about Canada's involvement in the War. Maybe I have seen others but it's so rare that it makes this movie seem unique that the story is about a Canadian wing commander who falls in love and builds a life with a woman who may not be all that she claims. Speaking of which, The best part of the movie is that drama. Though I love the art direction as it puts me in That WWII setting, the visual effects do a good job of placing you right there, but the drama coming from Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard's connection on camera. It's this connection that's the most important and makes the movie what it is, and the emotion baggage is well worth it. So not much of a war epic or an espionage movie as I went to see if for but it's a great love story set perfectly and beautifully in a different time and place worthy of checking out.

Greetings again from the darkness. Every writer, director and actor dreams of being part of the next Casablanca … a timeless movie beloved by so many. It's rare to see such a blatant homage to that classic, but director Robert Zemekis (Oscar winner for Forrest Gump) and writer Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises) deliver their version with an identical setting, nearly identical costumes, and the re-use of a song ("La Marseillaise") which played such a crucial role. Spy movies typically fall into one of three categories: action (Bourne), flashy/stylish (Bond), or detailed and twisty (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). This one has offers a dose of each blended with some romance and a vital "is she or isn't she" plot. The "she" in that last part is French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour played by Marion Cotillard. Her introduction here is a thing of beauty, as she floats across the room thrilled to be reuniting with her husband Max Vatan. Of course the catch is that Max is really a Canadian Agent and their marriage is a cover for their mission to assassinate a key Nazi. Yes, it's 1942 in Morocco. The two agents work well together and it's no surprise when this escalates to a real romance between two beautiful and secretive people. It seems only natural that after killing Nazi's and making love in a car during a ferocious sandstorm that the next steps would be marriage, a move to London, and having a kid. It's at this point where viewers will be divided. Those loving the action-spy approach will find the London segment slows the movie to a crawl. Those who prefer intelligence gathering and intrigue may very well enjoy the second half more. What if your assignment was to kill your beloved wife if she were deemed to be a double-agent? Max finds himself in this predicament, and since no one ever says what they mean in the community of spies, he isn't sure if the evidence is legit or if it's really a game to test his own loyalty. This second half loses sight of the larger picture of war, and narrows the focus on whether Max can prove the innocence of Marianne … of course without letting her know he knows something – or might know something. Marion Cotillard is stellar in her role. She flashes a warm and beautiful smile that expertly masks her true persona. The nuance and subtlety of her performance is quite impressive. Mr. Pitt does a nice job as the desperate husband hiding his desperation, but his role doesn't require the intricacies of hers. Supporting work comes via Jared Harris, Lizzy Caplan, August Diehl, Marion Bailey, Simon McBurney, and Matthew Goode. The Zemekis team is all in fine form here: Cinematographer Don Burgess captures the feel of the era, Composer Alan Silvestri never tries to overpower a scene, and Costume Designer Joanna Johnston is likely headed for an Oscar nomination. For a spy movie, the story is actually pretty simple and the tension is never over-bearing like we might expect. While watching the performance of Ms. Cotillard, keep in mind her most telling line of dialogue: "I keep the emotions real." It's a strategy that is a bit unusual in her world. How effective it is will be determined by the end of the movie.

This movie seems like a long montage, you never feel engaged with the characters or the story as it races through plot points then plods through others. The effects seem dated, in that it's noticeably fake, which often draws you out of the story. Cotillard is strong, Pitt less so. The story itself has been done and and done better. The writing is a little lazy and predictable. One strange inclusion is that it makes a point of introducing Pitt's character's sister. She seems to serve no point and it feels like something is missing. As a (Southern Hemisphere) summer "blockbuster" it will probably fare well but when compared to some of 2016's more tense and visually appealing movies, like Norturnal Animals, it falls flat.

A Franco/Canadian secret mission is an unusual twist for a WWII story. This and the setting of the first part of "Allied" reminded me of "The English Patient". Canadian Max (Pitt) is sent to Casablanca for a dangerous mission. Marianne (Cotillard) is the French agent already in place to help him. Out of the desert and in London, "Allied" moves into a different territory, albeit still with plenty of style. Max and Marianne's wartime romance in exotic settings turns into a real family, but doubts arise about Marianne's identity. London during the war as the main setting for two thirds of the movie looked very realistic. I did not mind what could be the historical inaccuracy of the Blitz, because the bombing added a layer of drama to the story. I particularly liked the scene during the party, with Sing, Sing Sing playing in the background. It is a slightly menacing tune and it complemented perfectly the atmosphere of tension, suspicion and slight desperation. Even if I have never been a Brad Pitt fan, he did a good job playing quiet Max, a man of a few words who sees his new world disintegrating. One can easily imagine him as a long-term bachelor falling for the beautiful, brave French partisan. Cotillard was also convincing as the ambiguous "femme fatale". Contrary to what some reviewers wrote, plenty of chemistry between the two, but also tenderness. If you like movies with a solid plot, linear storytelling, believable characters, difficult choices, great costumes and soundtrack, then you should like this. P.S. couple of remarks: Pitt's French was not the best and no way he could have passed for Parisian, but that did not bother me too much. The final scene is a couple of minutes too long, but again, not a major problem. However, what a relief to follow a good plot without the zig- zagging in time, overused but often useless editing style.