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THE MEXICAN Send This Review to a Friend
Maybe it seemed like a good idea. Julia Roberts. Brad Pitt. Add James Gandolfini of "The Sopranos." Bring in Gene Hackman near the end. But "The Mexican" turns out to be mostly a big bore with a convoluted plot that goes on and on with everyone working so hard to keep the film alive that you begin to feel sorry for them. Well, not too sorry. They were handsomely paid, so it is better to feel sorry for yourself if you've been one of those shelling out the price of admission.
The casting guarantees some amusing moments, and Gandolfini, playing a ruthless killer with a heart of butter, establishes himself as a solid big screen presence. Roberts flashes occasional charm through her ridiculously frantic role, but Pitt just doesn't fit this sort of screwball stuff. He and Roberts are disappointingly ill-paired as a squabbling couple. Bob Balaban fares better by giving a crisp, convincing performance as a ruthless villain.
The plot in the screenplay by J. H. Wyman involves Pitt as a loser caught between criminals and heading for Mexico to retrieve a gun with a fabled past recalled in silly, maudlin flashbacks. The entanglements are supposed to add up to madcap fun, spiced with action and suspense, and director Gore Verbinski puts up a game battle against the lame material.
Maybe hiring Julia Roberts these days is enough for commercial success. "The Mexican" may be a test. A DreamWorks Pictures release.
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