There wasn't any particular reason why, but I didn't have the greatest desire to see The Mexican. It surely wasn't due to the stars: I like Julia Roberts, James Gandolfini is soulful and wise in any role he portrays, and Brad Pitt is, if anything else, cute.

It wasn't the director, either. His only previous work is Mouse Hunt, the enthusiastic Nathan Lane family comedy--which I've never even seen.

But I just didn't rush out to see it (though I did see in on its third weekend, sooner than I usually catch most films--I'm a big budget theatre fan!), only being persuaded to see it when some friends really seemed interested in it.

The main problem with the film is its identity. It really doesn't know what it is: a romantic comedy, a road trip flick, or an action movie. And this detracts from the movie, because while it dabbles in all of these genres, it never does anything revlolutionary, it just takes the best parts of each type of movie, rolls them into a ball and voila!, The Mexican!

Our aforementioned stars are all in top form here, playing off of each other with great aplomb and enthusiasm, which makes the ride a little less bumpy. But Pitt's character is uneven, moving back and forth from rockheaded to highly-educated, when he catches clues that the more numb-skulled part of him wouldn't have gotten a whiff of.

However, evening that out is Gandolfini's hitman with a twist, (I won't spoil it for you) an unusual and incredibly welcome quirk, especially for such a "mainstream" movie. Hollywood is learning, indeed.

The movie is also a bit longer than it should be, and the only justification for the length are a couple of tired, overly exaggerated bits involving Pitt's lost passport and stolen cars.

The Mexican:B-

Recommended:
Yes