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64 out of 81 people found the following review useful: I had a very good time watching this movie, 22 November 2004 Author: Philip Van der Veken from Tessenderlo, Belgium
Personally I had a very good time watching this movie, but it seems like I'm one of the few. I don't know why, but the voters on this website always seem to hate comedies if they aren't from the hand of some cult-director. Does a movie always have to be a great drama or an exciting thriller? Not if you ask me, but I'm only one of many over here of course.It's true, the movie is a little chaotic from time to time. It isn't an overproduced Hollywood movie that takes itself too serious and that's exactly where its charm is in it for me. I loved to see Brad Pitt as the clumsy criminal who always is able to do something wrong. The same for Julia Roberts as his hysterical girlfriend and James Gandolfini as the gay hit man who has kidnapped her. I know, it's not done to say that you liked to see Julia Roberts play a certain role and Brad Pitt can never be good as a comical actor... Well, perhaps it is time for some people to broaden their minds. Don't believe what everybody says, watch it for yourself and form your own opinion. I liked it and I give it an 8/10.
42 out of 56 people found the following review useful: A chaotic, messy but brilliant commentary on relationships, 12 October 2004 Author: paddyolguin from Los Angeles, California
I'm genuinely surprised at the number of people who disliked this movie. Perhaps because it was a bit disjointed, chaotic, uneven, unpredictable and even incoherent at times. And that's just why I loved it. It's life. Yes, it's the crazy, seedy, shady lives of these people (the main characters being Pitt's and Roberts' characters), but at least it's honest... and darned funny. I thought the self-deprecating jabs at how most Gringos view Mexico/Mexicans were priceless. Raul!! The grainy flashbacks had my sides splitting.People, this is a classic melodrama told in today's yucky, dirty, gritty, ugly times. A beautiful (if you look closely) story that doesn't take it self seriously at all. This is anything but formula Hollywood hype. It is a genius inside-joke that sandbagged most of the people hoping to come out and see a Pitt/Roberts version of Sleeping in Seattle or some similar chick-flick dreck.When is enough enough? Never.
19 out of 23 people found the following review useful: Black Comedy From Gore Verbinski, 6 March 2001 Author: jhclues from Salem, Oregon
A couple working on the give-and-take aspects of their relationship, an exquisitely crafted antique pistol with something of a diverse history and some questions concerning who is working for whom, all figure prominently in `The Mexican,' a black comedy directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. Jerry Welbach (Pitt), a somewhat less than astute young fellow in thrall to a criminal currently incarcerated, is given a seemingly simply assignment: He is to go to Mexico, where he will rendezvous at a bar in a small town, at which time he will take possession of an invaluable hand-made pistol; he will then transport the item to the States and deliver it to his boss. But there's a problem; his girlfriend, Samantha (Roberts) expects to go to Las Vegas at the same time, and their plans were already made and set in stone. So what is a guy to do? After Sam throws him out of their apartment and Jerry tries to explain-- in a memorable scene with her on the second story balcony, he on the ground looking up-- that if he doesn't do this job they will, well, KILL him, it doesn't make any difference. After all, their trip to Vegas had already been planned, and he promised it would happen. Talk about a guy between a rock and a hard place. And it's only the beginning of a dark comedy of errors and circumstances that ultimately involves them with some double dealings and brings them into contact with a psychotic killer named Leroy (James Gandolfini). Director Verbinski lends a nice touch to the movie, eliciting noteworthy performances from his actors and establishing early on his method of using specific landmarks-- a traffic signal and a cross-roads in the middle of nowhere, for example-- that give context and definition to what is happening, sometimes off-screen (as in the opening scene, when you only `hear' a traffic accident that becomes a pivotal part of the story). He avoids slapstick and plays up the natural, subtle humor that drives the film. The characters are well drawn and the dialogue is clever and witty (`You ‘Forrest Gumped' your way through this...') and often very droll. And he maintains a pace and develops an atmosphere in which the unexpected can be expected that keeps it all moving along nicely and right on track. And there's a politically incorrect sensibility to the movie that is refreshing to see; in real life certain situations and cultures that are foreign to us are often viewed in stereotypical terms, so there is no reason to portray it otherwise in a film, especially when care has been taken to present it in an inoffensive manner, as it is here. Taking on a decidedly unglamorous role, Roberts nevertheless creates a lively character with Sam, imbuing her with plenty of spunk and, of course, that trademark smile. It's not a part that calls for a lot of depth, but she makes Sam likable and fun to watch, and she makes her banter with Jerry and Leroy credible and engaging. Credit goes to Pitt, as well, for making the most of what is actually a leading man/character role; Jerry isn't the sharpest tool in the shed and he may be easily distracted, but-- like Sam-- he's not without some natural charm that makes him quite personable and interesting. And there is a chemistry between the two that makes their relationship believable, especially when the sparks are flying. Gandolfini, meanwhile, not to be outdone by his charismatic co-stars, makes an indelible mark as the sensitive, psychotic killer who turns out to be something of an enigma. The supporting cast includes Bob Balaban (Nalin), David Krumholtz (Beck), Luis Felipe Tovar (Luis) and Gene Hackman (Margolis). A lively romp that takes some unexpected turns, `The Mexican' has a dark side, but manages to remain uplifting and thoroughly entertaining. There's a natural flow to the film and the laughs, generated by both the situations and the characters, are never forced but prompted, rather, by the spontaneity of it all. It's a movie that never pretends to be anything other than what it is, which is pure entertainment. It'll leave you with a smile on your face, some chuckles and some great lines to quote. And that, my friends, is the magic of the movies. I rate this one 8/10.
19 out of 28 people found the following review useful: A Surprising delight; good comic performances, romantic nuggets, good sense of adventure. *** (out of four), 12 March 2001 Author: Blake French (baffilmcritic@cs.com) from USA
THE MEXICAN / (2001) *** (out of fourThe title of Gore Verbinski's new romantic comedy adventure refers to the name of an extraordinarily valuable but cursed pistol possessed by a young man living in urban Mexico. Brad Pitt stars as Jerry Welbach, an errand boy forced to work for a local mob boss (Bob Balanban) after accidentally causing a powerful kingpin named Margolis (Gene Hackman) to be sent to jail. His "last" job is to go to Mexico and retrieve "The Mexican" and its beholder. Jerry's spiteful girlfriend, Samantha (Julia Roberts), wants Jerry to keep his promise about traveling to Las Vegas with her, but she does not realize that he can either accomplish this task or be killed. Since Samantha is such an understanding lover, she packs her bags and heads to Vegas alone, dumping her "selfish" long time boyfriend. Unfortunately for her, she is in the middle of a complicated situation whether she likes it or not. While traveling to her destination, Samantha is almost killed by a hitman (Sherman Augustus), but saved by another cold-blooded killer named Leroy (James Gandolfini), who has been assigned to kidnap her just in case Jerry gets any deceptive ideas while on his journey.Once in Mexico, Jerry locates the person and the pistol, but things go terribly wrong when the man is accidentally killed and several locals steal his transportation. Becoming suspicious, Jerry's accomplice, Ted (J.K. Simmons), is sent to find Jerry and declare the rising stakes at hand. Meanwhile, Samantha and Leroy become emotionally candid and share useful information of their past experiences involving love. While Leroy is a homosexual, he still lusts for romantic fulfillment, as the sentimental killer gives Samantha some advice of her own."The Mexican" is not really a romantic comedy like many audiences will expect; it is a somewhat coarse, violent adventure with undertones dealing with forgiveness and the strength of love. Actually, the relationship between the characters of Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts is quite trite. Except for the third act, whenever on screen together, the two characters do nothing but bitterly argue and fight. The performances keep the romance alive; clearly Pitt and Roberts are the right choices for the parts. Brad Pitt progresses into a somewhat comedic role, and he often struggles with it. But I certainly thought his performance was funny. He gives his character the perfect amount of charm and sweetness. Julia Roberts is a little annoying but puts an effective edge in her character. We actually end up caring about both of their fates.There are a lot of little things to like in "The Mexican" like the scenes in a Mexican bar, shuttered with a dark atmosphere and authentic cinematography by Dariusz Wolski; dim lights give the rooms a greenish tint, creating a realistic and believable mood for the scenes. The soundtrack furnishes the movie with a genuine zest. A lot of the dialogue is witty and smart, with scenes that are well-written, often funny, and keep our attention. The comedic elements keep the movie interesting and fresh. The film does an excellent job with informing us about the history of the pistol and the plot's complications are curiously intriguing. Leroy's homosexuality introduces relationship issues that give his character depth. Although often bloody and shockingly profane, "The Mexican" is not mean-spirited or nasty-but enlightening and whimsical.The film is directed by Gore Verbinski, who also provided us with fast-paced entertainment in the 1997 family comedy "MouseHunt." "The Mexican" is much different from that film, but still has the energy and stride to keep us engrossed. Although not what many people will expect, I found "The Mexican" to be a surprising delight.
26 out of 46 people found the following review useful: Roberts Ruined It, 18 April 2006 Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States
GOOD - Story was interesting the first time around.....loved the cinematography; nice Mexican scenery.... liked Brad Pitt's dialog and his character was fun to watch.....enjoyed the few side-bits with the dog and was surprised when Gene Hackman showed up late in the film.BAD - Julia Roberts ruined this film, at least by the second viewing. She was either yelling at Pitt all the time or gushing over a hit-man who admitted he was gay, and both routines wore thin. She thought (being gay) that was just the greatest thing and really overdid it. Overall, if you modified Roberts' character into someone less abrasive this might have been a "keeper."
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Too long, too boring and only Gandolfini is actually acting, 21 March 2008 Author: johnny-08 from Rijeka, Croatia
As much as I like Gore Verbinski, I cannot say that this is a good movie. It's way too long and it never offers us some breathtaking story that would keep me on the edge of seat. Actually I think this is the weakest movie Verbinski has done. Not that his direction is bad, it's mainly because of poor script that fails to provide really good black comedy and it's because, I must say, bad casting. Why? Well I really respect Brad Pitt's work. He's not some handsome guy who is here only because of his looks. He knows how to act and he proved that many times ("Kalifornia", "Se7en", "Twelve Monkeys", "Fight Club", "Snatch") but this is movie where he just couldn't fit in. His colleague Julia Roberts is also working this movie off, so the only person who's actually acting is James Gandolfini. Gandolfini is very good in his role; emotional, vulnerable but still strong and convincing. I forgot one thing about Pitt & Roberts: I just cannot put two of them together as a pair. Although we have here some universal messages about love, hit-man who's very emotional (strange for hit-man even though he's gay) and cameo role from great Gene Hackman; this is really movie that you can easily skip unless you're in love with Brad Pitt or you just want to watch a movie without innovative story.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: This is a bad movie, 13 December 2006 Author: collipal-1 from Argentina
The Mexican is one of those movies which are only worried in showing two Hollywood stars working together.These actors are Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.Brad Pitt is an extraordinary actor when he has great material to work with,like he showed in Kalifornia,Interview with the vampire,12 monkeys and Fight club.But,when he has so poor material like in this movie,he does not bring a good performance.Julia Roberts is an extremely overrated actress.It seems that she's always acting the same character.The movie is too long and it really bored me.If you wanna see two Hollywood stars working together and nothing else,watch this movie.But if you wanna see a good comedy,watch another movie.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Bit too random for my liking, 30 March 2004 Author: Tob147258 from Manchester
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
SPOILERSFor once let's cut straight into this. I'm not an enourmous fan of this film. I'd always avoided it expecting some random romantic comedy staring Pitt & Roberts. It wasn't what I expected, but that still doesn't make it particularly good.In "The Mexican", Brad Pitt plays Jerry Welbach, a man who made one dodgy driving error and ended up paying for it for years after. In effect sentenced to work for the man who he accidently got arrested, Jerry starts this film being sent on his final case to go to Mexico and retrieve an ancient beautiful gun called "The Mexican". Jerry experiences countless screw ups in what sounds like it should be an easy job, and this isn't helped by the fact that his beloved girlfriend Sam Barzel (Roberts) is angry with him and driving around with her kidnapper, a homosexual hitman, played by James Gandolfini.Ok, sounds like a simple enough plot, some have described it as too thin, but personally I don't always have a problem with thin plots. I do have a problem however when the plot is at times confusing and irritating though. Pitt is good as Jerry, although I admit to prefering him in countless other films, Gandolfini is the star of the show, and Roberts is just plain infuriating. Actors aside though, the background of the Gun is random and a bit too obscure for my liking, the portrayal of Mexicans seems slightly stereotypical, the humour is limited and ultimately something just doesn't feel right about this film.It's hard to know what to say about "The Mexican". To create a film and feature two of Hollywood's biggest stars was a good idea. Ultimately though, for all it's few good points, this film contains one too many flaws. I won't say to avoid it, as it's probably more suited to other people's pallets. I would suggest however that you do like I did and only watch it on television rather than pay money for it. They could have done so much better.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Far too long !!!, 10 September 2003 Author: Jon Formby from England
Sounds promising, Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. Sounds, is about as far as it went though. A bit more editing was needed to trim the film down from a rather lengthy two hours. For something billed as a comedy the laughs are pretty few. There is no chemistry at all between Brad and Julia and generally the acting is pretty dire. Probably the only saving grace was James Gandolfini. One to watch if you are a Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts fan only I would say, or perhaps you are suffering from insomnia !
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: The Last Assignment Is The Last Straw, 22 October 2008 Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York
Luckless Brad Pitt can't seem to work off a debt that he owes crime boss Gene Hackman in an unbilled role. Four years earlier he got into a fender bender with Hackman right at the moment that Hackman was carrying someone in the trunk of his car. Only because it was a live someone, Hackman got off with a few years in the joint, but he makes sure Pitt pays and pays for that fender bender.His last assignment seems simple enough go to Mexico and find a bring back an antique pistol, a real piece of craftsmanship that several legends have been told about. But even that last assignment is the last straw for his girlfriend Julia Roberts. She gives him the old heave ho as he leaves for Mexico.But just to make sure Pitt follows through, Roberts is kidnapped and held hostage by James Gandolfini, a gay hit man with whom she bonds rather strangely with. Of course you don't expect things to go smoothly for Pitt. The Mexican is one of those murphy's law films, if anything can go wrong it does go wrong. The Mexican is a film that was made more than likely for no other reason than let's team Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts and get some real box office out of it. They seem to work well together, but this very quirky film just doesn't quite jell. Possibly it should have been played more as an out and out comedy than it was. James Gandolfini comes out best in this film.Still fans of Pitt, Roberts, and the Sopranos might like it. Although if you go in expecting to see Tony Sooprano, fuggedaboutit.
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