Rating: 
Summary: EXTRAORDINARY
Review: This is the best movie of the year, hands down. In a year of so so movies this one really takes the cake. If this doesn't get Julia Roberts her second straight (I'm counting on her winning for Erin Brockovich) Academy Award for Best Actress then my name is not Robert Smith.
Rating: 
Summary: Boy, Girl, Hit man and the Mob
Review: Two hours and fifteen minutes of racy (for the first half) comedy/drama. Towards the end the movies starts to drag a bit. Trying my best not to overstep the boundaries of giving away some of the best surprises, let me tell you just this that you wont really regret sitting through despite of it being so lengthy. This movie has its funny moments between the characters of Julia Roberts playing Sam and Brad Pitt playing Jerry Welbach, a couple although madly in love but still having trouble. Punch Line of their relationship is when Sam asks Jerry, "When two people love each other and cant seem to get along when is it time to say enough?" Jerry's answer is the defining moment of their relationship. Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts do not share the frame much in this movie as they are separated earlier in the film when Jerry is sent for a job to Mexico and many ill-fated events follow. Meanwhile Sam takes of to Las Vegas to pursue her dream and midway is kidnapped by a hit man sent by Jerry's boss due to his inability to deliver, played by James Gandolfini. On this frame develops a very interesting relationship between the hostage and her captor. It's a wonderful movie with romance, comedy, drama, thrill all packed up in one.
Rating:
Summary: Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts at their best!
Review: To be honest, I've not seen very many Brad Pitt movies, so, I was a little reluctant to see this movie in light of that. Now, after seeing this movie, I have a much bigger respect for him. Still, it's not the best movie ever made. With a great plot, and great acting, this movie falls short of a comedy. While it has many funny moments, most of them are shown on the preview, so, when you see it, you won't see a whole lot of surprise gags. There's a few, some extremely funny, but not a whole lot. But this is okay, because it's not a straight-out comedy, it's an action/romance/comedy-one of the best I've seen.
Rating:
Summary: Roberts and Pitt Make It Happen
Review: A couple working on the give-and-take aspects of their relationship, an exquisitely crafted antique pistol with something of a diverse history and some questions concerning who is working for whom, all figure prominently in "The Mexican," a black comedy directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. Jerry Welbach (Pitt), a somewhat less than astute young fellow in thrall to a criminal currently incarcerated, is given a seemingly simply assignment: He is to go to Mexico, where he will rendezvous at a bar in a small town, at which time he will take possession of an invaluable hand-made pistol; he will then transport the item to the States and deliver it to his boss. But there's a problem; his girlfriend, Samantha (Roberts) expects to go to Las Vegas at the same time, and their plans were already made and set in stone. So what is a guy to do? After Sam throws him out of their apartment and Jerry tries to explain-- in a memorable scene with her on the second story balcony, he on the ground looking up-- that if he doesn't do this job they will, well, KILL him, it doesn't make any difference. After all, their trip to Vegas had already been planned, and he promised it would happen. Talk about a guy between a rock and a hard place. And it's only the beginning of a dark comedy of errors and circumstances that ultimately involves them with some double dealings and brings them into contact with a psychotic killer named Leroy (James Gandolfini). Director Verbinski lends a nice touch to the movie, eliciting noteworthy performances from his actors and establishing early on his method of using specific landmarks-- a traffic signal and a cross-roads in the middle of nowhere, for example-- that give context and definition to what is happening, sometimes off-screen (as in the opening scene, when you only "hear" a traffic accident that becomes a pivotal part of the story). He avoids slapstick and plays up the natural, subtle humor that drives the film. The characters are well drawn and the dialogue is clever and witty ("You 'Forrest Gumped' your way through this...") and often very droll. And he maintains a pace and develops an atmosphere in which the unexpected can be expected that keeps it all moving along nicely and right on track. And there's a politically incorrect sensibility to the movie that is refreshing to see; in real life certain situations and cultures that are foreign to us are often viewed in stereotypical terms, so there is no reason to portray it otherwise in a film, especially when care has been taken to present it in an inoffensive manner, as it is here. Taking on a decidedly unglamorous role, Roberts nevertheless creates a lively character with Sam, imbuing her with plenty of spunk and, of course, that trademark smile. It's not a part that calls for a lot of depth, but she makes Sam likable and fun to watch, and she makes her banter with Jerry and Leroy credible and engaging. Credit goes to Pitt, as well, for making the most of what is actually a leading man/character role; Jerry isn't the sharpest tool in the shed and he may be easily distracted, but-- like Sam-- he's not without some natural charm that makes him quite personable and interesting. And there is a chemistry between the two that makes their relationship believable, especially when the sparks are flying. Gandolfini, meanwhile, not to be outdone by his charismatic co-stars, makes an indelible mark as the sensitive, psychotic killer who turns out to be something of an enigma. The supporting cast includes Bob Balaban (Nalin), David Krumholtz (Beck), Luis Felipe Tovar (Luis) and Gene Hackman (Margolis). A lively romp that takes some unexpected turns, "The Mexican" has a dark side, but manages to remain uplifting and thoroughly entertaining. There's a natural flow to the film and the laughs, generated by both the situations and the characters, are never forced but prompted, rather, by the spontaneity of it all. It's a movie that never pretends to be anything other than what it is, which is pure entertainment. It'll leave you with a smile on your face, some chuckles and some great lines to quote. And that, my friends, is the magic of the movies.
Rating:
Summary: great film
Review: There was no way this movie could go wrong...with the star power of Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt, plus a unique and fresh plot, this was a sure-fire hit...I enjoyed the film as much as i knew I would...extremely good performances, believable and lovable characters all contribute to the brilliance of the screenplay...I have never had so much fun at the movies...a very refreshing experience after falling asleep during Hannibal and The Wedding Planner, I was glad to see that Hollywood can still make feel good enjoyable films...this is one movie I would definitely recommend...
Rating: 
Summary: One of the five worst movies I've ever seen.
Review: I'm going to try to be objective here, but The Mexican was such a dreadfully awful film, it's not going to be easy. For starters, the use of foul language - prevelant in many of today's movies - was far more pronounced in The Mexican. It added zero to the film, and in my opinion, was analygous to the filthy language found in rap music marketed towards children: it's there for the shock value and nothing else. (To give you an idea, we weren't even five minutes into the film and I had already logged about two dozen needless utterances of the "F" word.) The script writers should find another line of work. OK - excessive use of bad language is annoying, but the acting was good, right? Wrong. The acting was horrible, and that's no small thanks to Brad Pitt, one of the worst actors to "grace" Hollywood in years. Unfortunately, even Julia Roberts blew it bigtime on this one, dumbing down - way down - her acting talents to be more in line with those of Pitt. And it didn't work. The argument scenes between Pitt and Roberts, for example, were so ridiculously fake and overacted, they were embarrassing to watch. To make matters worse, I found zero chemistry between Pitt and Roberts. And don't even get me started on the "tender" scenes between the "sensitive" cold-blooded homosexual "Leroy," and Roberts' character, Sam. As I said, I'm trying to be objective. About the only bright spot for me was the Mexican music on the soundtrack. I've always loved the sounds of Mexico, and the powerful and emotion-filled brass-based score in The Mexican was beautiful to the ears. Unfortunately, Hollywood once again portrayed Mexicans as a bunch of lazy, dirty drunks living their lives on the streets and in saloons. These stereotypical views are unnecessary and damaging, and I regret we have to see them here in 2001. To summarize, then, this movie was one of the worst I've ever seen. It was pointless, sleazy (do we really need 4 different scenes of urination or defecation?), graphically violent, and inane. Intellectually speaking, you'd be better off watching re-runs of the Dukes of Hazard, and the acting's better, too.
Rating: 
Summary: A good Movie but something is missing!
Review: I checked out THE MEXICAN this weekend and I thought it was a good movie. BRAD PITT playes this guy named Jerry who happens to get a job to go to Mexico to retrieve a valuable pistol. JULIA ROBERTS plays a women named Sam who is Jerrys girlfriend. At the start of the movie you can tell the couple have some tension in there relationship, Sam tells Jerry if he goes to Mexico she is going to go to Las Vegas to pursue her career. Along the way Sam gets kidnapped by a guy who is working for the guy who hired Jerry to go to Mexico. This movie is a good movie, but you hardly see BRAD and JULIA together in the movie, only at the start for a few minutes than again at the end for a few more minutes. I have to be honest this movie is not BRAD PITTS or JULIA ROBERTS best movie. I was expecting more, but instead I got less. I left the movie feeling like I was let down, and so did the two people that went with me. For the sake of me being a huge BRAD PITT and JULIA ROBERTS fan I say check it out, but don't expect to much.
Rating:
Summary: Brad was delicious and Julia Delightful
Review: This movie was fabulous. I always love to see any movie with Brad and Julia, but together they are double the enjoyment. The plot is great and makes you want to stay with the entire movie. Brad was very funny and not to mention looked amazing (as always). Julia was very delightful and beautiful. The relationship that grew between her character Sam and James Gandolfini (Leroy/Winston) was great. James Gandolfini is a fabulous actor and gave that slightly rough edge the movie needed. I can't wait for it to come to DVD, but I would definitely go to the theater two or three more times just for the shear pleasure of seeing this delicious film again. Way to go Brad and Julia!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: This is one cool movie.
Review: In the grand scheme of things, this isn't the greatest movie ever made. But we don't always go to the theatre for art do we? No we go to have a good time, and that is exactly what this movie is, a good time. The plot takes a few twists and turns, and some of the shots are rather beautiful, but what really makes this movie fun is the characters. You grow to like them as the grow through the movie and wince when the make mistakes. The humor in the movie plays well against the action and romance. This is the first action/romance that I've ever seen work. I highly recommend this movie.
Rating:
Summary: A Little Starched and Plasticized
Review: I knew what I was getting into when I went to see "The Mexican". Heavily advertised and starring the ultimate superstars, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, I expected it to be a completely Hollywood movie. Yet I hoped for a bit more. I was neither surprised nor completely disappointed. "The Mexican" is, indeed, very Hollywood. It is not the best movie of either star's career (I say "Fight Club" for Pitt and "Erin Brockovich" for Roberts). It is funny in parts, cute in others, and occasionally suspenseful. Yet it's also yawn-inducingly long and sometimes flat-out silly. What elevates "The Mexican" from the typical Hollywood muck is James Gandolfini. I have not been fortunate enough to see Gandolfini on "The Sopranos" as I don't have HBO, but his performance in "The Mexican" convinces me that he is one of our great actors. He puts everyone and everything else to shame. Perhaps that doesn't benefit the film; I read a review somewhere that mentioned Gandolfini as acting A-list in a B-movie. He makes the rest of the film look even more "B" in comparison to his role. Still, it is a pleasure to watch Gandolfini, and Roberts and Pitt are charming, of course. This is ideal as a rental. I wouldn't spend any more time with it than that.
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