Allied

SET DURING World War II, the story begins with Canadian intelligence officer Max Vatan (Pitt) who is sent to North Africa on an assignment.

There, he encounters female French Resistance fighter Marianne Beauséjour (Cotillard) while on a suicide mission behind enemy lines.

Surrounded by danger, the two fall in love. They manage to survive the mission and flee together to England with plans to marry and start a family, despite the war.

Beautifully crafted, Allied is a simple tale that is steeped in intrigue, romance, and drama as it follows the lives of the two spies as they leave the frontlines behind to start a new life.

The story is very well written with no scene, line, nor glance wasted throughout.

An example is the absence of big bold contrasting letters telling you where and when the scene is set. Instead, it is told organically within a scene.

It is also masterfully shot as each frame is not only well thought out but also acts as a flashback to the golden age of Hollywood.

Here, Pitt and Cotillard showcase their acting prowess in full.

Pitt is convincing as the awkward French loving husband and worried father, while Cotillard plays the agent with a keen eye for details, a loving wife, and the protective mother to a tee.

After a year of throwaway horror movies, a-dime-dozen superhero movies, and rehashed science-fiction movies, a well-done film like Allied is a reminder of how movies are an art form, and not a two-hour vehicle to sell toys and merchandise.

Admittedly, the story, when condensed, is fairly straightforward and easily spoiled.

But what makes Allied a movie worth watching is how well it tells the story.

It is hard to believe anyone could leave the cinema with dry eyes.