The Mexican

Brad Pitt plays a scatterbrained, indentured mob lackey on a do-or-die delivery assignment. Julia Roberts is his neurotic, therapy-addicted girlfriend, who made him promise he'd get out of the rackets. James Gandolfini is a hypersensitive crybaby hit man who kidnaps Julia to make sure Brad doesn't get any bright ideas about selling the antique pistol he's sent to fetch from south of the border, where Pitt Keystone Cops his way through oodles of bad luck trying to keep the gun away from other interested parties. This winning talent combo and a very droll, twisty and quite original script make The Mexican a consistently chuckle-packed caper comedy with charm and witty repartee to spare. Recommended. (R. Blackwelder)