In 2001, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts were arguably at the peak of their powers as movie stars, as both starred in the illustrious Ocean’s Eleven ensemble, and the latter won an Academy Award. James Gandolfini won his first Emmy Award playing the character that defined prestige television for the next 20 years in Tony Soprano of The Sopranos on HBO. In just a few years, Gore Verbinski would become one of the hottest names in Hollywood after turning a theme park ride into a cultural sensation in Pirates of the Caribbean. To the surprise of many, these four teamed up for a crime comedy/road-trip drama, The Mexican, that looked like a slam dunk on paper but ultimately failed to wow the masses. On a second look, however, Verbinski’s curious, unconventional film is a humorous and thoughtful exploration of identity, legend-making, and learning how to settle down.
‘The Mexican’ Is an Off-Kilter Crime Caper and Road-Trip Dramedy
With its non-Hispanic principal cast, one might suspect that The Mexican will register as deeply problematic, but instead, the title refers to an eponymous antique pistol that has become the source of outrageous mythmaking in the criminal underworld. Jerry Welbach (Pitt), a low-level bagman working off debts to a mob boss, Arnold Margolese (Gene Hackman in a one-scene performance), is sent on “one last job” to retrieve the Mexican for Margolese, who covets the gun. This causes a stir with his girlfriend, Sam Barzel (Roberts), who leaves him and moves to Las Vegas. Along the way, she is held hostage by a mysterious but pragmatic hitman, Leroy (Gandolfini), hired to ensure that the ne’er-do-well Jerry obtains the gun.
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The 1997 movie was also the final movie directed by Alan J. Pakula, who also helmed ‘Sophie’s Choice’ and ‘All the President’s Men.’
The concept teases a fun movie star caper with a tight high concept, but The Mexican proved to be far more cerebral and shaggy in its pacing than anyone imagined. Although it was a big hit at the box office, critics were heavily mixed about the final product, particularly its awkward pacing. The most subversive element of the film, one that would likely upset the casual moviegoer, is that Pitt and Roberts are separated for most of the runtime, with Jerry forced to fend for himself like a fish out of water in Mexico. On the flip side, Sam is not really in peril as a hostage, as she and Leroy engage in intimate conversations about general life problems, the most pressing being Leroy’s repressed homosexuality. Roberts, who seamlessly stripped down her glamorous stardom, and Gandolfini, utilizing Tony Soprano’s blend of menace and charm, thrive together as a mismatched pair, with each actor displaying infectious vulnerability as figures on the periphery of the criminal world.
‘The Mexican’ Subverts Its Movie Star Showcase for a Cerebral Look at Life
Viewers in 2001 certainly weren’t expecting this movie star showcase to center around sobering conversations about the struggles to settle down and raise a family. However, The Mexican succeeds as a caper about a small-time crook in way over his head thanks to Gore Verbinski’s dynamic visual palette and comedic timing. The director’s ability to juggle multiple narratives and tones prepared him to make his Pirates trilogy, which is filled with swashbuckling adventures and sharp humor, and this formula helped define the modern blockbuster. After playing a string of anonymous and stiff roles that hinged solely on his looks, Pitt made it his mission to deconstruct his matinée idol image by playing grizzled and warped parts in Seven, 12 Monkeys, and Fight Club. In The Mexican, Pitt is in full doofus mode, constantly putting himself in predicaments due to his recklessness and the language barrier. The film gets plenty of humorous material from Jerry and his colleague, Ted (J.K. Simmons), wanting to indulge in the nation’s culture, as both request to drive a car “a little more Mexican,” which ends up being an El Camino.
The crime-caper portion of The Mexican, the aspect likely responsible for ticket sales, is dramatically inert compared to the tense standoffs and scintillating discussions on life between Sam and Leroy, aided by the unforeseen brilliant chemistry between Julia Roberts and James Gandolfini. Even if the film is ostensibly two movies working against each other, the loose, sporadic nature of Gore Verbinski’s off-kilter road-trip dramedy makes it endlessly fascinating, finding humor in moments of distress and pathos in moments of wacky hijinks. The film verges on exploring the profundities of life, but it understands that its scope should be confined to these characters bewildered by their futures. In an era where we crave more movie-star vehicles that don’t hinge on extensive plotting, time will be kind to The Mexican.
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