Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Category: Movies...
Posted Friday, June 10, 2005 at 09:17 PM [GMT-6]

If you're a connie-sewer of that dismal art known as "serious film," you can skip this post and go back to perusing early 20th century Prussian silent movies. But if you're a fan of action movies starring drop-dead gorgeous people who don't take themselves too seriously, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is just what the doctor ordered.

MLB and I caught a late afternoon matinee and had a great time with it, as did the rest of the audience in the almost full theater. It's funny and fast-paced, and to those who will claim that the plot simply requires too much suspension of belief to be enjoyable, I have just one word: "Hero."

And here's something of a surprise: it's a great movie for married couples to see together. It delivers a strong message about the importance of honesty and open communication in a marriage, even if it's delivered in a less-than-serious fashion. The scenes of the Smiths' marriage counseling sessions that opened and closed the movie were wonderful.

The press has done a number on Brad and Angelina -- are they or aren't they, ad nauseum -- but regardless of what you think about their lifestyles or personal eccentricities, they're both undeniably easy on the eyes and very comfortable with each other on-screen. At times, it seemed like Jolie was simply reprising her Lara Croft role without the British accent and braid, but Brad continues to run a close second to Tom Hanks as the most likable on-screen actor in the business.

A nice plus was the musical score, which featured a pleasing combination of world music of indeterminate ethnicity, classic R&B and pop.

Unlike with ROTS, where I was squirming in my seat before the conclusion, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" was good to the very end. I recommend it.

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