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List Price: $26.99 | | Label: Dreamworks Video
Salesrank: 17029
Released: August 7, 2001 |
| Our Price: $4.31 |
| Used Price: $0.75 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Movie DVD
Description of The Mexican:
Part road movie, part romantic comedy, part thriller, and a whole lotta fun, The Mexican could get by on star power alone, but it offers Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and a clever plot full of delightful surprises. It's a thoroughly enjoyable shaggy-dog story in which the downtrodden Jerry Welbach (Pitt) copes with a dual dilemma: his girlfriend Samantha (Roberts) has just dumped him to pursue solo ambitions in Las Vegas, and a manipulative mobster has ordered Jerry to Mexico to retrieve a coveted antique pistol (the "Mexican" of the title) that carries a legacy of legend, death, and danger. Jerry soon has his hands full with bandits, bloodshed, and a grizzly hound dog that vanishes and reappears with amusing regularity. En route to Vegas, Samantha's taken hostage by a burly assassin (James Gandolfini) who's attached to the gun-fetching scheme and is, in more ways than one, not who he seems to be.
Like a good magic act, J.H. Wyman's original screenplay distracts you from its gaps of logic, using unexpected revelations to fuel its strategic vitality. It also provides a wealth of character development, and director Gore Verbinski (Mouse Hunt) gives his stellar cast equal time to shine. It hardly matters that Pitt and Roberts spend most of the film apart; their time together is worth waiting for, and the machinations that separate them play out like a cross between vintage Peckinpah and Romancing the Stone. And why is the accursed pistola so valuable? That's just another surprise, setting the stage for the arrival of yet another big-name star, whose motivations are pure in a film full of double-crosses and darkly shaded humor. With a giddy plot like this, star power is just icing on the cake. --Jeff Shannon
The Mexican Reviews:
Out of the Mainstream and Into the Art 
2009-03-18 - A number of people completely pan this movie, and after reading almost all of the one- and two-star reviews, I think I understand why. You see, Hollywood doesn't usually come out with an art film, and when they do, nobody seems to know what to do. I am in an almost unique position in that I don't watch any television at all, and so I do not see movie ads and trailers. I also do not listen to the radio, and do not hear movie critics. When I go see a movie, I could care less who wrote it, directed it, filmed it or starred in it. The movie either gets me, or it doesn't. End of story. "The Mexican" definitely gets me.
The words "art film" are thrown around a lot. In this case, I'm using one of the definitions that surfaced in the late 70s, which basically states that an art film is one which spends less time creating a believable plot and more time focusing on the internals of the characters. Think of a movie like "A Life Less Ordinary". I'm not saying that this is the correct definition of an art film, I'm just saying that this is the one I'm using here.
During "The Mexican", we get to see legends from the past as they are represented in the minds of the storytellers. We also get to see quirky events from the past and present which apply directly to the main theme of the film while having no rational explanation (a traffic light mysteriously malfunctioning as we here an off-screen car accident, for example). The writers don't need to apologize for this: the style of the movie is blatantly declaring, "I am an art film. Do not judge me on my realism, judge me on my characters." The people who criticize the legend of the pistol as presented in this movie might just as well criticize the future presented in the movie Wall-E. It's not about the realism, it's about the characters!
I like Brad Pitt in most of his films, and I dislike Julia Roberts in most of her films. In this film, the two were the right actors to play the right characters. I don't even need to sing the praises of our hitman -- an incredible performance is expected, and an incredible performance is delivered.
The cinematography is beautiful. The movie just ends up feeling so organic. It seems that the moments of brutal violence are set so that they get your heart rate up at just the moments the director intended. I think some of the other reviewers were expecting a Hollywood movie to stick to its "every bullet blows something up" roots, but the violence in this movie is actually about as true to life as I have seen in a Hollywood movie (that is to say, nothing like most other Hollywood movies). The violence in this movie seems to follow the old aphorism, "hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror". For a movie of this sort, the violence is perfectly balanced to the story, without an ounce too much or too little.
"The Mexican" requires at least two watches to fully appreciate the depth of the love story -- both of present and of legend -- and to appreciate the simple beauty of the film, in all its sound and color. I can understand why many people would dislike this film. It is not for everyone. It is like many other types of art: it is either your style, or it's not. For example, I think the world would have been better off if Picasso had never been born. On the other hand, I am utterly fascinated by Monet's use of light in his paintings. Some people are the exact opposite. This is a movie that you will either love, or hate, and if you love it as I do, you will truly love it.
very entertaining 
2008-01-27 - May not be an epic master piece, but this movie is not bad at all. If you put Tarratino and Robin Williams in the same room and make them come up with a movie this is what you will get. A smart action comedy that is right up there with Grosse Point Blank and the Whole nine yards. I cant believe that so many people despise it. I give it atleast 3.75 to 4 stars easily. If you want to sit down a sip some tequila and have a good time, I reccomend this movie. Now if you want to nit pick and gripe about a movies imperfections all day I still reccomend it, after all its not my fault you got bad taste. dont pay attention to all the bad pub though not a classic its no way near deserving of 1 star not even 2. Oh well everybody has the right to their simple minded opnion. No I meant close minded, or did I mean both? I have to be politicly correct right? NOT!!!!
Worst movie I have ever seen 
2007-11-26 - Wish I could tell you why, but I have thankfully blocked most of the plot from my memory. Avoid it if at all possible.
Truly unsuspected good time, a film that's fun, fresh, enjoyable and memorable...
2007-09-10 - I hadn't heard many good things about `The Mexican' and so I somewhat shelved the idea of ever even trying to watch it. It had come on television multiple times and I just ignored the very thought of wasting two hours of my life on it. And then, while carousing through my local video store I decided to actually read the back of the DVD case and I noticed the name of an actor whom I am eternal smitten with. James Gandolfini. Immediately I walked up to the checkout line and rented this film. I can honestly say now, Gandolfini aside, `The Mexican' was a lot of fun. I actually enjoyed this film far more than I ever expected. The plot, while a bit forced and a little improbable, is full of twists and turns, but what makes the film so enjoyable and memorable at that is the onscreen chemistry, not between Pitts and Roberts as may be assumed, but between Roberts and Gandolfini, a pairing that was made in Hollywood heaven!
Brad Pitt plays Jerry, a careless man who got caught up with a gangster due to a car accident and is now paying off his debt to the man by carrying out small errands. His latest errand is to retrieve a beautifully crafted gun coined `the Mexican' that has about as much history to it as it does value. The job gets botched though when Jerry gets carjacked and loses the gun. As he tries to retrieve it himself his boss Arnold Margolese takes matters into his own hands by hiring a contract killer named Leroy to kidnap Jerry's girlfriend Samantha and hold her as hostage to trade out for the gun. Jerry's friend Ted also ventures into Mexico to help Jerry retrieve the gun.
Know that all the above information is subject to change, for this is an action/comedy with twists and turns in the plot that will alter the reality of my initial synopsis. In other words, what I just wrote is what the film wants you to believe.
What makes `The Mexican' such a fun and memorable film is the keen eye for character development. Maybe no so much on the part of Jerry, but the characters of Samantha and Leroy really get fleshed out. That is owed in large part to the wonderful performances by Julia Roberts and James Gandolfini. As Samantha, Roberts is at her zany best. I actually haven't seen her this much fun since her `Pretty Woman' days. She was perfect in her role, hilarious and just orgasmically entertaining. Speaking of orgasmic, James Gandolfini is just utter perfection here as Leroy. His sensitive killer is a great spin off from his portrayal of Tony Soprano. He plays Leroy a bit softer than he plays Tony, but the same sentimental elements are still there which work wonders for making Leroy a real person. His relationship with Sam is so believable you almost want them to end up together (impossible for reasons you'll soon uncover) instead of Sam and Jerry.
So, in conclusion, `The Mexican' is not a bad film at all. Let go of any and all preconceived notions about this being a waste of time and give it a chance. It's highly entertaining and will prove to be a great time for everyone involved. Here's to hoping that Gandolfini gets more roles like this one now that his `Sopranos' career has ended. He's a very talented actor who shines above the rest here and deserves to remain in the limelight.
Hey! THAT was pretty good! 
2007-06-11 - I bought this DVD for a single scene I had seen once. The scene was worth purchasing the DVD, or so I thought. Wrong! Much of the movie was worth the price of the DVD. Actually, I more than got my money's worth. The acting is great, the plot is a great tease, and it never stops moving. I would have given it 4 stars, but the language was unnecessarily much thicker than I cared for. But all in all, a VERY solid movie.
