Whether you're going to get a pre-Ocean's Eleven look at Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts (they're both in Steven Soderbergh's remake), to see a film with stylish violence in hopes of cleansing your pallet from the stupid 3000 Miles to Graceland, or to see two gorgeous, larger-than-life Hollywood superstars interact with each other on the big screen, The Mexican will likely be a real crowd-pleaser.  Actually, those folks in the last group might be a bit disappointed that Brad and Julia aren't in too many scenes together, but the rest of the film is enjoyable enough to make you forget, or, at least not realize until you're on the way home.

The film opens with the toothy duo in the bedroom of their Los Angeles apartment.  Sam (Roberts, Erin Brockovich) is all smiley because Jerry (Pitt, Snatch) is taking her to Las Vegas later that day.  Jerry, on the other hand, is gnawing on his fingernails because a prior engagement is going to postpone their trip, and he hasn't had the heart to tell the high-strung Sam.  It seems that Jerry is in hot water with a local mobster (Bob Balaban, Best in Show) and needs to perform one last service to work off the debt.  While it's not immediately clear what Jerry did to end up in this pickle, we do know his task involves flying to Mexico, picking up a firearm and delivering it back to the L.A. gangster, who is apparently the operative for an even bigger fish currently serving time.

When Jerry finally breaks the bad news to Sam, she flips out, tosses his shit to the curb and takes off, screaming psychobabble about his emotional shortcomings, while he has no choice but to hop the plane and take care of his other obligation.  They each have their own adventures and don't meet up again until the end of the film.  Jerry runs into all kinds of trouble in Mexico, learning the pistol (it's called The Mexican) he's supposed to transport is cursed.  In the meantime, wisecracking Sam is taken hostage by a burly man named Leroy (James Gandolfini, The Sopranos), who uses her to ensure Jerry doesn't run off (or R-U-N-O-F-F-T, if you've just seen O Brother) with the valuable gun.

Jerry's character reminded me of Paul Hackett in After Hours.  He's clumsy, unlucky and now finds himself (sporadically) in possession of a gun with bad mojo.  All he wants is to get back to Sam and fix their relationship.  Sam and Leroy, on the other hand, made me think of – don't laugh - The Silence of the Lambs.  Like Lambs, The Mexican is full of really tight close-ups, and the relationship between Sam and Leroy is like a lightweight version of Clarice and Hannibal.  They grow close and dish about their relationships and childhoods, but you know he could kill her in an instant if necessary.

The Mexican is a high-octane flick on par with True Romance in terms of romantic and violent content (which is kind of ironic if you remember Gandolfini sharing an unforgettable hotel scene with the female protagonist in that film).  It's got the three Ds that make a film like this work – double-crossing, deceit and dark humor.  There are also several great flashback scenes where we learn the origin of The Mexican (one features Julia's brother, Eric).

The drawbacks for The Mexican are pretty minor.  The ending drags a bit, but it's worth it for the payoff.  The country of Mexico is portrayed as a small village with eight people.  And if you pay too much time thinking about who each gangster is working for, your head may explode.  Just sit back and enjoy the nice photography and good acting by two huge stars (and one pretty big star). 

The Mexican was directed by Gore Verbinski (Mouse Hunt), whose visual style is greatly enhanced by cinematographer Dariusz Wolski (The Crow, Dark City). The story was written by J.H. Wyman, who penned the truly awful festival hit Mr. Rice's Secret.  If the film reminds you a little bit of a Quentin Tarantino movie, you won't be surprised to learn The Mexican was produced by Tarantino's right-hand man, Lawrence Bender.

2:00 –

for violence and language