The Mexican

A quality Mexican film is almost as rare as a quality Mexican car, but much like the mighty El Camino, The Mexican starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, while it bears a Mexican name is totally American indeed.

Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts are a couple having troubles, big troubles. Pitt has to go to Mexico to deal with mobsters, mobsters send a gay hit man to kidnap Julia, Pitt gets beat up, broke down, and stranded…. And then the trouble starts. There’s certainly no shortage of wannabe edgy gangster flicks, but unlike many recent efforts in this genre, The Mexican soars.

Unlike 3000 Miles to Graceland or Snatch, other current gangster flicks, The Mexican isn’t caught up in trying to shock its audience. It’s not waving a giant red flag saying “look at me!”, instead it softly pads across the kitchen floor in a pair of old dirty flip flops to clean up the remnants of last nights party only to discover that the cat has been drinking leftover beer and has collapsed in a drunken stupor next to his water dish.

Yes its funny, yes its dark, yes it’s actually good… despite all critical protestations to the contrary. But ladies! This is really not a romantic film. I think a lot of women have this idea that this is some sort of Julia Roberts Brad Pitt romantic comedy…. And who could blame them, for the preview presents it as such. This is not the case. Pitt and Roberts really have few scenes together and while there is some element of romance, this is not a primarily romantic film. Sure at the end there is this sudden and abrupt attempt to make it all lovey dovey, but its not a good thing, trust me… the ending is merely a 10 minute blight on an otherwise quality film.

This is a dark comedy… with all the amoralistic and violent connotations that are so common with a movie of that variety. Its rated R for a reason girls, so don’t go expecting to get all gushy with your boyfriend over it alright?

And watch out for that ending… it’s a long drop.