With Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt how can you go wrong? Gore Verbinski doesn't really, but with "The Mexican," the director might seem to come close at times. He always pulls it out by adhering to the cohesiveness of the script and allowing his fine actors to have free reign to create with him. In the end, the film comes together as a beautiful poem, a loving piece of art.

In this day of multiple viewings of movies (thanks to video, DVD and cable), films with entailed and tricky plotlines are much more accessible. "The Mexican" is as hard to follow as "The Usual Suspects;" harder actually, because, by a hair, it's not quite as well written or as good. But thanks to modern media, viewers will be able to repeat scenes, back track through plot and eventually come close to figuring it all out. It doesn't take a brain surgeon, mind you, but it is important to pay attention. Verbinski and scripter J.H. Wyman don't make it easy on you. There are multiple asides, arty homages to Mexican cinema posing as flashbacks (or vice-verse ), and oft-mentioned characters that don't appear until almost the end of the film. There is a surprise cameo featuring one of these characters at the film's conclusion played by a big-name-star that I won't spoil here. Some other reviewer somewhere else will though, so beware.

Pitt and Roberts have really fun characters to portray and it is obvious that the two are in thespian hog-heaven here. Roberts plays a quick-tempered, middle class woman whose tongue only ceases to click when she begins to see that she can learn quite a bit if she just listens and thinks. She's a bit of a bitch but evolves into someone we like and care about as the film progresses. This is mainly do to the awesome work of James Gandolfini (of "The Sopranos" fame) as her constant companion through the body of the film. Roberts and Pitt only share the screen for a brief scene in the beginning and for a chunk of film at the end. Gandolfini gets a golden opportunity to create a massive character here and does not disappoint. The script seems likely to fail him at times, and comes damn close on one occasion, but the character actor pulls it out of the toilet like a champ. He might have created a one-sided, ridiculous character if he had no skill but Gandolfini gives us a character of kaleidoscopic dimension instead. It's quite lovely. Roberts seems to love playing against him and her smile warms us as she begins to comprehend the grace and beauty of this amazing man. Pitt, meanwhile, carrying on his own plot in Mexico absent from Roberts and Gandolfini, creates a dim-witted but lovable goof whom we also grow to care for. A quick decision his character Jerry makes late in the film has an epic impact on the whole piece and here Pitt ascends to the throne of the acting Gods. When the film climaxes, and it is well before the end of the film, Pitt brings together the piece into a cohesive whole that astounds us, make us shudder, and opens our hearts. It's an awesome moment.

If there is any problem with the film, it is the lame score by Alan Silvestri. Like a third generation, discarded Ennio Morricone score, Silvestri's work here almost always annoys and draws attention to itself, rather than accentuating a scene. It's irritating and often acts to draw us out of the plot rather than the intended opposite effect.

Wyman has crafted an intelligent and intricate script here and Verbinski, whose last film was the manic "Mousehunt," brings it forth with just the right amounts of verve, humor and starry-eyed optimism. Pitt, Roberts and Gandolfini sell it with such pluck and good spirit that it cannot fail. "The Mexican" may very well be the best film released in early 2001. And it's quite possible it won't be forgotten in early 2002, when Oscar time rolls around. It's that good.

Note:

Also with Bob Balaban and David Krumholtz.

Wyman has acted under the name Joel Wyner.

Verbinski's next film (possibly post strike) is "Project 3," also scripted by Wyman. Due in 2002, the film is set to star Julia Roberts. Little is known about the film except, according to upcomingmovies.com, "it's compared to George Cukor's 1944 classic 'Gaslight.'" Meanwhile, Roberts and Pitt are slated to appear together in Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's Eleven" later in 2001.

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