Allied review – an adequate spy thriller

‘A spy drama set during the Second World War about two agents who meet on a mission in Casablanca.’

On paper, Allied sounds like a fascinating and engaging spy thriller that would have you gripped until the very end. Sadly, that’s not what we’re given and director Robert Zemeckis’ execution is rather sloppy. Kicking off in 1942, the plot follows Canadian intelligence officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) as he lands in Casablanca and poses as the husband to Marion Cotillard’s French resistance fighter, Marianne Beausejour, in order to assassinate a Nazi ambassador.

During the operation they fall in love, and after successfully killing the ambassador, move to London to get married and start a family. However, not long after their baby daughter is born, Max is told that Marianne is suspected of being a German spy, and if true he will have to execute her or be killed himself alongside her.

Allied isn’t a bad film and it has potential, but regrettably, Zemeckis struggles to find the right tone for the film. What should have been a smart and engaging spy movie, ends up more like a romantic drama with some espionage elements thrown in as a last minute afterthought. In fact, at times, Zemeckis lays on the melodrama so thick it feels like you’re watching something made for daytime television, and not a Hollywood spy thriller.

Even the first forty five minutes, during the Casablanca mission, feels more like a backdrop for a “meet cute” than an undercover, high stakes mission, as these two spies slowly fall in love with each other over the course of their operation. On top of that, once in London, we get what feels like, an overly long and unengaging montage of Max’s and Marianne’s courtship, including snapshots of their wedding, and the birth of their daughter.

The pacing is all over the place, with moments where the story really drags and feels painfully slow with very little happening. There are really only two main action scenes, and although well directed and shot, aren’t enough to inject the much needed energy into this film to keep it from becoming dull in places and having the audience mentally check out at times.

Fortunately, Allied is just about watchable, thanks largely to Pitt and Cotillard’s star power. They really help elevate the film with some good performances that do actually breath some life into the story. Pitt is particularly good, especially when it comes to the point where Max finds out about his wife.

You can really see the stress in his face as he tries to come to terms with this potentially life shattering revelation. He doesn’t overplay it either and is able to convey a lot of emotion with very little dialogue. Cotillard also proves quite adept, and plays her role close to her chest keeping it ambiguous right towards the end, so as to keep us guessing. Plus, as a pair, they play off each other well and have good chemistry.

They are also helped by a solid supporting cast including Jared Harris’ commanding officer, and Simon McBurney’s spy catcher. On top of the cast who do their best, Zemeckis is able to authentically display the period setting, including a stunning 1940’s Casablanca during that first act. He especially does well in portraying a blitz-torn London with visuals that integrate seamlessly with the practical sets, creating a beautiful looking film at least.

‘Despite the good cast though, and the solid visuals, there isn’t much else to raise this film to a period masterpiece, apart from maybe a bold ending.’

Allied could have been so much more. We could have had a tense and suspenseful thriller; a cat and mouse game between husband and wife; an old school period spy movie, more in the vein of 2011’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (which I get the impression Zemeckis was going for). Instead, what we get is a fluffy melodrama about two people who just so happen to be spies; good, but not great.