The Quick of It -
Period pieces can be a hit-or-miss for me. Sometimes they feel like a Hollywood white wash of the actual
time period, fitting it to what they need for the story. ALLIED could be one of those, but I didn’t
care as I was enthralled once the lights went dark.
ALLIED is about an airman, acting as an intelligence officer, who
falls in love with a French Resistance fighter during a mission in North
Africa. Brad Pitt, as Max Vatan, plays
a foolhardy and deadly serious soldier willing to go great lengths to
accomplish his mission. Marion
Cotillard (of INCEPTION, DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, and LA VIE EN ROSE) plays
Marianne Beausejour, a very capable and confident displaced agent. After a daring mission in Casablanca, they
fall in love and then wed once they are reunited in England. Not long after having a child, her loyalty
comes into question. The organization that
Max is attached to believes her to be a German spy. The standout here by far is Marion. She makes you fall in love, even beyond caring if she is a
traitor. Her self-expression and well-spoken
interaction sells you beyond the screen.
You cannot help but feel crushed at the possibility, and to such lengths,
that you would spirit her away to protect her.
Director Robert Zemeckis is rightly known for powerful stories: CAST
AWAY, FOREST GUMP, FLIGHT, THE WALK. He
has proven himself before and again, showing he has not missed a beat in his
extensive career. His ability to pull
the project together, complimented with the cinematography of Don Burgess,
makes for a grand experience visually.
As an example, they incorporate camera shots for the car scenes that you
would expect to find in films during that era, and then use modern technology
for the illusion of traveling down streets and everything going on outside. The incredible results are a testament to
this film. Even the bombardments taking
place in the skies of England make you feel as if you are on the street
watching in awe and horror.
There is not much to harp on as the story centered on their love, a
sense of genuine expression, while the war continues around them. Everything seems to fade in the distance as
their bond grows. The rooftop nights in
Casablanca, that is where you will find me.
If only to fall in love like that…
Grade: A
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