Allied

Robert Zemeckis's stylized but superficial WWII thriller stars Brad Pitt as Max Vatan, a Quebec intelligence officer working with the British military. In 1942, Max parachutes onto the Moroccan desert, traveling to Casablanca, where he joins Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard), an undercover French Resistance operative who has charmed Vichy collaborationists. Posing as husband-and-wife, the pair wangle an invitation to a German embassy party, where—against all odds—they are able to assassinate a high-ranking Nazi and then flee to London. Soon after, they marry, have a baby daughter, and settle into domesticity in Hampstead Heath (when they're not dodging bombs during the Blitz). All is well until, unexpectedly, Max is confronted with the RAF's accusation that Marianne is actually a spy, secretly feeding classified information to Hitler's Berlin. Is it true? Or is Max being tested to see if he deserves a promotion? Unfortunately, Allied suffers from a stilted screenplay, lack of suspense, and sluggish pacing. Optional. [Note: Blu-ray extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes such as “From Stages to Sahara: Production Design,” “A Stitch in Time: The Costumes,” “Lights, Pixels, ACTION! The Visual Effects, “Through the Lens: Directing with Robert Zemeckis,” and others (68 min. total), and bonus digital and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a this cinematic misfire.] (S. Granger)