Married assassins Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie) react to the smouldering remnants of what was once their home. - CONTRIBUTED
Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
MR. AND Mrs. Smith is a story about overcoming the boring times in marriage, the need for truth in relationships and getting to know your partner all over again. The movie is about the need for couples to understand each other, respect each other and work together to overcome what may seem to be insurmountable odds.
It does this with a little therapy, lots of gun play,
fist fights and a spectacular car chase involving, of all vehicles, a mini-van.
Directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg, the film stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Mr. and Mrs. Smith is not altogether a very original concept. It is largely a combination of the films The Story of Us (Bruce Willis and Michelle Phieffer) and True Lies (Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Curtis). In this case however, both the husband and wife are spies. The Smiths, who are busily trying to lead lives as boring as their names (John and Jane Smith) suggest are bored with each other. It seems that after a time, dinner at seven every night has begun to pale.
COVERT OPERATIONS
That neither of them realised that the other is a spy, especially given the circumstances under which they met, may either suggest that they are either not very observant spies or they are very good at covert operations. Either way, they have been married for five or six years and have reached the point where they could kill each other, a thing that many couples can understand. In their case, they get the benefit of being hired to do so.
The mix of the marriage drama and your spy action flick adds another level to the fun to be found in the film. Many of your standard arguments between couples, such as how many lovers before me, become an argument about how many kills. It is also delightful watching the two address each other as 'honey' and other standard endearments while trying to carry out the nuclear rendition of The War of the Roses.
When most married couples start to fight, it can crash a happy home. Their fight on the other hand can destroy the house too as they take the idea of domestic violence to a whole other level.
Not surprisingly, given its stars, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a very sexy film. Of course, this means that Jolie plays a superspy. She is so good that she wakes up with every hair in place and her make-up already perfect. The two are also barely scarred after a brutal bout of fisticuffs. The film is also enhanced by Vince Vaughn who continues to show a delightful touch for comedy. He plays, Mr. Smith's partner Eddie, who still lives with his mother.
True Lies was a much wilder version of this concept and Mr. and Mrs. Smith has none of the poignant sweetness of The Story of Us. However, as a combination of both movies it provides a great piece of fun that combines humour, action and two very pretty people. It is a blast of a lovers' quarrel.
