Allied (2016)

User Review

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  TheMovieDiorama

  7 / 10

  The usual november World War II film, this year we have Allied which is all about an undercover couple who eventually marry each other but a certain obstacle is thrown their way...British intel believes that the wife is actually a German spy. Is the intel wrong? Is it love over honour? Well you'll have to watch to find out for yourself, but I do recommend you do so as this is a good old fashioned romance, with a hint of spy thrills. I must advise that you do go in expecting a romance, the trailers did market this as a thriller/action...it is not. Right, firstly let's get the obvious out of the way and say that Marion Cotillard once again steals the film. She really is a class act. She is able to capture emotion through her face and not many actors can do that (plus we finally get to see her speak alot of French which is great for her). Brad Pitt was great, although essentially used to be the bankable star and to get viewers to watch the film (ignoring the current affairs of his love life), he could've been replaced by anyone. Due to the old fashioned style, this needs a great director and who better than Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Castaway and Flight). He is so confident and has such a fascinating nostalgic way of using the camera. Such good camera placement particularly during a scene that involves mirrors from a wardrobe to show a different character...very clever and I admire that. The script however was hit or miss. At times I felt that the script was captivating, I definitely became invested in the couple and cared for what happens to them. The only problem is, there are several scenes which do not add to the story and actually creates pacing issues for itself which is a shame. Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of WWII period dramas but the production and overall environment for the film was excellent, I couldn't fault it. I won't spoil the ending but it did touch me and it was beautifully handled (although my partner actually did shed a tear, maybe I am emotionless after all). Overall, Allied was a decent romantic period drama with an incredible performance from Cotillard and outstanding direction from Zemeckis, although the script had inconsistent pacing.

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