Posted: 06/15/2005

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

(2005)

by Clint Fletcher

Has anyone noticed that all the movies have gotten a lot better lately? Lightsabers blazing, bats flying and Angelina in a skimpy outfit can only mean one thing… Summertime is here! On that note…

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is the best film of 2005 thus far.

Now I must start off by saying that the action/comedy is my favorite genre- period. However, in case you haven’t noticed, this beloved genre is more extinct than Corey Feldman’s career. Because of this, the people behind this movie get extra kudos for making the most entertaining flick I’ve seen in a long while. Why is it so entertaining? Because this baby has it all: action, drama, romance, class, humor, two hot stars and a kickass soundtrack, but mostly humor over anything else. I can’t remember the last time I laughed out loud so much but it could’ve been at Jolie’s last movie (Taking Lives). With that said, let’s get on with the show.

For all you poor people out there who can’t afford the E! channel, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie star as Mr. and Mrs. Smith, two assassins who keep their true identities a secret from each other. Now after five or six years of secrets, there’s bound to be a few emotional problems in their marriage which is addressed right from the get-go. After a few therapy sessions, it seems as if there’s no hope for John and Jane. But then one day they’re both accidentally assigned to take out a very underused Adam Brody (Seth from The O.C.) and slowly discover that their entire marriage has been based on one big lie. Mistakenly assuming that their significant other is out to kill them, both John and Jane wage an all-out war on each other and the movie kicks into high gear. Then naturally, those two crazy kids find a way to kiss and make up as they realize sticking together is easier than splitting up when they have a whole town of secret agents on their crazy asses. Lots of guns, explosions, laughs and sex ensues.

Who knew that Brad Pitt could be so funny? Who knew that Angelina Jolie could be so sexy (juuuust kidding)? There’s not that much else I can say about this movie except that its damn good and has a little something for everyone. For those of you who aren’t action fans at least you have the two hot stars to stare at, right? If you like your comedy then there’s plenty of it, with witty writing for Pitt and Jolie who are backed up by a classic supporting cast of Vince Vaughn and Adam Brody. Honestly, I really don’t see anyone not liking this flick and if you see this and dislike it then we need to talk, because it just oozes with entertainment. This is what I go to the movies for folks, some good old fashioned entertainment and frankly we haven’t been getting much of that this year.

Before I go, I’d like to take the time to point out the paparazzi situation surrounding this movie. CNN and other news publications have been writing articles for weeks about how the rumors of a hook-up between Pitt and Jolie will either make or break this film. No no, I’m not going to tell you people of America to get a life (that will happen in my next Rant), but instead I’d like to say that I think this theory of real-life situations affecting a film is complete horseshit. Gigli made no money because the movie blew, not because Affleck was with J-Lo at the time. Proof of Life made no money because the movie blew, not because Russell Crowe was banging Meg Ryan while she was still married. Catch my drift? In the opposite case, Mr. and Mrs. Smith will do well at the box office because it’s an incredible piece of Hollywood entertainment, not because people are curious to “read the chemistry” between its two stars. With that in mind… GO SEE IT!!!

Clint Fletcher is a writer, critic, filmmaker and action film fan from Chicago.

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