Mr. and Mrs. Smith   

John Smith: Brad Pitt

Jane Smith: Angelina Jolie

Eddie: Vince Vaughn

Jasmine: Kerry Washington

Benjamin Diaz: Adam Brody

Directed by Doug Liman

Written by Simon Kinburg

With Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Doug Liman proves he is one of the most accomplished young directors in Hollywood today.  He’s already shown that he can do intriguing stories with Swingers and Go, as well as straight-up action with The Bourne Identity.  Here, he is able to put everything together and make it work surprisingly well.  It’s always nice to go into a movie and be blown away by how much better it is than you thought it ever could be.  This is the case with this film. 

Much has been made of the pairing of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and maybe there is something to those rumors after all, because their chemistry is remarkable.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith is dependent on the compatibility of its two stars, and Pitt and Jolie drive the movie with their performances as John and Jane.  They are not only believable as husband and wife, but they bring each of these characters to life as they battle each other and themselves over their discoveries. 

The Smith’s marriage is faltering, due in large part to the numerous secrets they must constantly keep from each other.  As it turns out, it has been like this since the day they met in Bogotá under false pretenses.  Things really begin to spin out of control once they learn what each other does for a living.  And this is where Liman’s expertise really comes into play, highlighted by the fight between the Smiths in their own house where everything becomes a weapon. 

The fight becomes even better as you realize this is more than just assassins going at it, but spouses blowing off steam from years of marital frustration.  Liman follows this up with more exciting action sequences, from shootouts to car chases that never drag on too long. 

Fortunately, the film is more than just non-stop action.  The script is very well written, full of smart, crisp dialogue that avoids common action movie clichés and runs the gamut of emotions as these two characters are faced with the difficult realization about their marriage and their feelings for each other.  It is actually a fairly complex look at a marriage in turmoil and the paths different people can take to destroy it or make it work.  Everything is kept light-hearted, too, with numerous double meanings in the things John and Jane tell each other, as you would expect from a marriage between hired guns. 

There are also two good supporting performances from Vince Vaughn (Eddie) and Kerry Washington (Jasmine) who each play the best friend and co-worker of each Smith.  They are both able to keep the movie at the same pace when Pitt and Jolie are not on-screen together.