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The Mexican

Starring: Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts
Director: Gore Verbinski
Genre: Comedy
Year: 2001
Rating: 2 / 5

Reviewed by Guest Scribe Jules

Yes, I know the critics trashed The Mexican. I also know that a lot of people are likely to see it, due to the all-star appeal of Mr. Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, and, most importantly, James Gandolfini. Mr. Gandolfini has been nailing the tenderhearted tough guy role at least as far back as his memorable portrayal of Bear in Get Shorty, and, most recently, in the highly acclaimed TV series, The Sopranos. The critics consider The Sopranos more vital to human life than drinking water, yet they feel that even Tony himself could not save The Mexican from its own quirky demise. Ultimately, I would have to agree, although the movie did help me pass the time on a cold Sunday in Alaska.

Jerry Welbach (Brad Pitt) is a bumbling crook that entered a life of crime in bizarre fashion and is now attempting to exit. His supposed last job is a trip to Mexico to retrieve a pistol with a very complicated life history. Predictably, the task is not at all simple and he "Forrest Gumps" his way through it, with only an endless supply of brightly colored Gap t-shirts to sustain him. Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend, Samantha (Julia Roberts) is kidnapped and taken hostage to "regulate funkiness" by Leroy (James Gandolfini). These misfits form a tender bond (arguably more tender than the bond between Sam and Jerry), talking through issues that trouble their lives. Character-wise, the role of Jerry gives Brad Pitt very little to work with, and he does very little with it. Julia Roberts is similarly plagued until Gandolfini comes onto the scene. The majority of the performances fall flat. Despite an abundance of banter from the film's leads, it is actually a Mexican passerby that utters my favorite line, mocking Jerry's internationally obvious incompetence: "Buenos Nachos!"

The film's flaws all made sense to me when I heard that the director used to do commercials. The Mexican seems to be built in 2-minute segments, switching from character to character, and skipping from scene to scene with choppy regularity. The depiction always stays on the surface, with peppy music to back it. The comedy, too, is lacking; the sinister undertones cannot become as light-hearted as the director would like. The result is enough to keep the viewer awake, but ultimately unsatisfied. Unlike The Sopranos...

Cast:

Certification: Rated R for violence and language.
Running Time: 105 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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