Brad Pitt’s doin’ one thing and one thing only in Allied… falling for Marion Cotillard. Yeah, he’ll kill some Nazis along the way, but it looks like the shady backwaters of the spy world is there to complicate their relationship instead of override the plot. It’s possible that will change in later marketing pushes, but for now, Allied is being pitched as another in a long line of wartime romances.
Looking at who put the film together doesn’t illuminate how these aspects will be balanced in the final product, either. It’s written by Stephen Knight, who has more of a thriller background with Eastern Promises and Locke, but the influence of mainstream-friendly director Robert Zemeckis is not to be overlooked.
He managed an affected relationship with a volleyball in Cast Away, and it’s difficult to see him doing a straight war drama without softening it. A heavy slice of romance would certainly take away from the devastation of World War II, so I would expect a pretty even mix of the two elements.
And yet, this teaser seemingly leaves a lot of pieces out. The cast, for instance, is slated to include Lizzy Caplan, Matthew Goode, and Jared Harris, none of whom make an appearance here. The film will even take place in two different locations: Casablanca (of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world) and London.
How the extra characters, who must be important given the talent filling the roles, and the time/location jump will be handled hasn’t been addressed yet, but there’s really no need to give away the entire plot when you can hang your hat on the talents displayed in this teaser. Whatever the film ends up being, it seems guaranteed to be worth a look.
Allied is directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, and Lizzy Caplan. It will be released in the U.S. on November 23rd, 2016 and in the U.K. on November 25th, 2016. For international release dates, click here.
Do you think Allied will lean more on romance or drama? Let us know in the comments!
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.