Review of Allied (2016) by Bipan R — 04 Jan 2017

If your prime motive is to observe exploits of war, then Allied, probably, isn't for you. The film doesn't boast of regular war-film ingredients such as guns, tanks or artilleries. Instead, it narrates a simple war-romance story of two spies who, by profession, are trained to be deceitful. No, their romance isn't as intricate as that of The Fault in Our Stars either. 2016 has had its fair share of World War II films, most notably, Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge and Sean Ellis's Anthropoid. While the film's theme is certainly akin to that of Anthropoid with regard to its premise surrounding spies, however, the unique subject matter dealt by Allied clearly makes it stand out among the regular wartime dramas with regular themes of exemplary heroism or courage. The best thing about the film is that it lets you indulge in romance without having to worry about jargons of war. Given its plot surrounding spies, it definitely reeks of mystery or thriller but it certainly doesn't overpower the principal theme of romance.

Director Robert Zemeckis whose curriculum vitae boasts of several diversified, commercially as well as critically acclaimed, films such as Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Cast Away , Flight and The Walk has once again dared to venture into a different genre and still produce an entertaining film. He certainly won't let go of his obsession with special effects such that he has Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard perform sex in midst of a sandstorm. Marion Cotillard must have baffled when Zemeckis had her give birth to a child in the midst of the blitz. He certainly knows how to use special effects to a more dramatic and narrative purpose.

Brad Pitt in Allied is not so different from his previous avatar of "Wardaddy" in David Ayer's Fury. The only thing that's changed is that instead of US Army staff sergeant, he is now a Canadian intelligence officer. But then again, he doesn't need to change. His formidable persona is perfect for his character in Allied. From the moment Brad Pitt drops into the opening frame like a 007 agent, he is a force to be reckoned with whether he be shuffling the cards or having sex in midst of a sandstorm. Pitt deserves an Oscar just for the scene where he dropkicks a chair during an interrogation room outburst (just kidding!!) \(???)/. Marion Cotillard, after a disappointing feat in Assassin's Creed, has certainly redeemed herself with her witty and mysterious demeanor as Marianne Beausejour. Her initial lines, infact, summarize the essence of the entire film when she tells Pitt: "I keep the emotions real. That's why it works.".