Spring Break
Smiths nothing special, watchable flick
Summer Preview
Sumeet Patel
Issue date: 6/3/05 Section: Entertainment
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Ok, so we've all been keeping up with the tabloids about the personal lives of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. But what's the real deal behind Mr. and Mrs. Smith? Well on the surface, the movie conjures up images of the 1985 flick Prizzi's Honor where Jack Nickolson and Kathleen Turner are, as the tagline goes, "hired killers by day [and] devoted lovers by night." But despite the clichéd plotline, Mr. & Mrs. Smith has the two things that will want to make you get off the couch and actually drive to the movie theater - yes that's right, sex and violence.
For those of you who have been hiding from the TV and internet previews, our story starts with unusually handsome John and Jane Smith (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie). As their name implies, the duo is the epitome of the typical suburban family. Hardworking professionals - he's a contractor and she works on Wall Street - they leave their homes with the white picket fence every morning and come home every night. Dinner at seven, don't be late.
But all is not well in Pleasantville. Although the Smiths get married in a fever five or maybe six years ago, the passion has now fizzed away. Mr. and Mrs. drag themselves to a marriage counselor who believes the problem is communication. (The irony here is that maybe Pitt should have seen a real counselor with Aniston; talk about communication!)
"There's this huge space between us that keeps filling up with all the things we don't say to each other," John asks. "What's that called?"
"Marriage," the counselor replies.
Little does the doc suspect that the Smiths are living a lie. Husband and wife are, in fact, elite assassins hired to kill one another after they royally screw up targeting the same hit - some random upstart wannabe named Benjamin Diaz (Adam Brody from the O.C.). Of course, what romance comedy/spy thriller combo would be complete without the goofy best friend/weapons expert, played by the talented Vince Vaughn.
For their part, it's obvious that Pitt and Jolie are having the time of their lives acting as a couple (Aniston, eat your heart out). They occupy their roles like real movie stars; she's sleek and cool with her red ruby lipstick and black leather trenchcoat and he's resourceful and resilient in his causal sports coat. It's no surprise then how well Jolie masters comedy with a sharp tongue and Pitt commands actions sequences with smooth nonchalance. Chemistry? In the words of Paris Hilton, they're hot. With the cruel PG-13 rating, the sexual heat isn't too hot to get out of the kitchen. Maybe the DVD edition will have some uncut deleted scenes...
For those of you who have been hiding from the TV and internet previews, our story starts with unusually handsome John and Jane Smith (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie). As their name implies, the duo is the epitome of the typical suburban family. Hardworking professionals - he's a contractor and she works on Wall Street - they leave their homes with the white picket fence every morning and come home every night. Dinner at seven, don't be late.
But all is not well in Pleasantville. Although the Smiths get married in a fever five or maybe six years ago, the passion has now fizzed away. Mr. and Mrs. drag themselves to a marriage counselor who believes the problem is communication. (The irony here is that maybe Pitt should have seen a real counselor with Aniston; talk about communication!)
"There's this huge space between us that keeps filling up with all the things we don't say to each other," John asks. "What's that called?"
"Marriage," the counselor replies.
Little does the doc suspect that the Smiths are living a lie. Husband and wife are, in fact, elite assassins hired to kill one another after they royally screw up targeting the same hit - some random upstart wannabe named Benjamin Diaz (Adam Brody from the O.C.). Of course, what romance comedy/spy thriller combo would be complete without the goofy best friend/weapons expert, played by the talented Vince Vaughn.
For their part, it's obvious that Pitt and Jolie are having the time of their lives acting as a couple (Aniston, eat your heart out). They occupy their roles like real movie stars; she's sleek and cool with her red ruby lipstick and black leather trenchcoat and he's resourceful and resilient in his causal sports coat. It's no surprise then how well Jolie masters comedy with a sharp tongue and Pitt commands actions sequences with smooth nonchalance. Chemistry? In the words of Paris Hilton, they're hot. With the cruel PG-13 rating, the sexual heat isn't too hot to get out of the kitchen. Maybe the DVD edition will have some uncut deleted scenes...
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