124 minutes, Romantic Drama/Thriller 

Coming off the back of a decent, yet disappointing run at the U.S. Box Office is Robert Zemeckis’s (FORREST GUMP, FLIGHT) ALLIED, which headlines Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard in the lead roles. The story, which is set in Casablanca in French Morocco, takes place during the Second World War. Max Vatan (Pitt), a Canadian intelligence officer is about to meet French Resistance fighter Marianne Beauséjour (Cotillard). The meeting is not by chance either, with the pair assigned to a joint mission of posing as a married couple within enemy territory. Already a dangerous mission that doesn’t carry a comforting rate of survival, Max & Marianne are further endangered when they begin to fall in love.

This well-structured and handsomely produced film is captivating all throughout, though an inconsistency or two does hinder it from reaching excellence. Involving the senses more so than the emotions, the opening section of ALLIED may take some time for the real operation being masqueraded by the arranged marriage to be fully grasped. Fulfilling the parts that chronicle a faux relationship that is inevitably developing into a genuine one, Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard do convince and share undeniable chemistry. I will not divulge further into where the story travels to from here as Max & Marianne’s mission nears its end (you can rely on the overly-revealing trailer for that, if you so wish). What I will say though is that each key development in Steven Knight’s (writer of EASTERN PROMISES and BURNT) screenplay does occur at all the right times. The pacing of this romantic drama is very consistent and effectively works its way towards a compelling and intriguing final act.

3.5 out of 5

Trailer
ALLIED

Viewer Discretion
M – Mature themes, violence, sex, coarse language, nudity and drug use.

Moviedoc wishes to thank Paramount Pictures and Village Cinemas Crown for the invitation to the Melbourne Preview Screening of ALLIED.

Review by Moviedoc
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