Allied Movie Review

Released: November 25th 2016 (UK)

Length: 124 Minutes

Certificate: 15

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Jared Harris, Matthew Goode, Lizzy Caplan and Anton Lesser

Allied is the latest effort from director Robert Zemeckis and the third major outing in a World War II setting for Brad Pitt. Some are comparing it to other sweeping war epics, but when taken on its own accord, it’s a genuinely engaging tale of detached actors in a world conflict.

During World War Two, Canadian Intelligence Officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) is deployed into Casablanca, partnering up with French resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard). What starts as a professional partnership turns into a serious relationship for the two and their missions together prove to be quite successful. But after two years of happy marriage, Max is told by British Intelligence that his wife may be a German spy; torn between love and duty, his suspicions and desperation to find out the truth grow with every passing day and the pressure placed by command. The opening act is very slow, taking a fair bit of inspiration from the 1942’s Casablanca; it’s a carefully played act by both as they work towards infiltrating a key Nazi party. From here the plot moves to a more subdued tone as Vatan tracks down clues that could reveal the true nature of his wife. While the first half seeks to build the characters, the second half builds an intriguing rabbit hole that follows through all the way to the end. The transition between the two halves feels a bit rushed as though and this keeps the narrative of plot from reaching its full potential as sweeping epic.

Allied stands as very atypical of its genre and this shows through its performances. A very small set of restrained emotions is put on display by Pitt and Cotillard, tying in with both the time period and their personas. Both main actors play off each other well, Pitt with a smooth mannerism and Cotillard with a subtle seductiveness capture a key shift; one where duty turns to romance which in turn, fuels Vatan’s disbelief later down the road. When it does reach this point, Pitt does a great job of conveying the stress his character feels, with the understanding that he will be ordered to kill Marianne if she is discovered to be a spy. Allied doesn’t reach the lofty heights of its filmmaking inspirations but it nevertheless compels the audience to follow them and see where their strong bond will go. However, many of the side characters, especially Max’s comrades in the forces are introduced incredibly abruptly and don’t carry much weight in the plot. Despite an effort towards authenticity, the focus can feel one-sided, most notably in the film’s final act.

The presentation in Allied has been injected with a fair amount of artistry, especially in the way it was shot. CGI is kept to a minimum, used to emphasise the destruction brought by The Blitz in London; the atmosphere in these scenes is particularly foreboding, the flashing sparks of anti-aircraft fire raining overhead, emphasising how close the war is to the main characters. The action sequences themselves go by very quickly, but they still manage to deliver a strong punch by highlighting the well-trained efficiency of the two main characters. Many background shots are used to give off subtle hints about the setting, whether it’s couples bonding in a Moroccan café or partying Nazi forces outside a window; occasionally these shots shift their focus onto the central characters, smoothly blurring out the external action to the two main characters. There’s a sizeable amount of symbolism to be found as well; one intimate moment in a car in the middle of a sandstorm is a metaphor for the character’s occupations; their individual personas shielding them from the chaotic frontlines of World War Two. Another close-up of Pitt’s character as he walks down a corridor, his face shifting between light and dark indicates his pondering over the film’s central revelation. It’s tied off by a heartfelt main theme that carries the more emotional moments effortlessly.

Allied boasts a brilliant filmmaking style and an emotive story that detaches itself from the typical battle focused fare of most major war films. A somewhat irregular shift and basic side characters are its only real shortcomings, resulting in another fine effort from a very well-established filmmaker.

Rating: 4/5 Stars (Great)