Allied: A Must-See Film of 2016

By Ellie Drabnis on December 1, 2016

I am not a fan of war films. However, I very much liked the movie The Imitation Game, but I think that’s more because I adore Benedict Cumberbatch. Anyway, I don’t even like the subject of history either, so why would I see a movie with any related themes?

By no means was I excited to see a movie set in World War II. And not to mention, I’m not even a Brad Pitt fan.When I got to the theater and settled in to watch the movie, I was pleasantly surprised. Allied was not the boring history-to-screen film that I had expected. Instead, Allied is a must-see film of 2016.

**Warning: Spoilers below!**

(https://www.pexels.com)

The main point that stood out to me about this film was that it was so well-acted. Not just the two main characters of Max Vatan and Marianne Beauséjour (Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard), but all of the characters who make an appearance on-screen were authentic as people. Rather than just watching the telling of a story, it felt as if I was sitting there and watching someone’s life unfold before my eyes.

The genuineness about the characters even allowed me to forget that the main role was being played by Brad Pitt, that this actor I recognized from here and this one I’d seen on such and such a show were also in the mix. That ability to ignore all else and bring into focus the ‘world of the movie’ and to truly experience the emotions being told through the image and dialogue of the film’s characters speaks for itself. Overall, that makes the entire experience of seeing a movie more enjoyable.

Max and Marianne Vatan (Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard)
(https://www.facebook.com)

Some have argued that Pitt and Cotillard play somewhat of an unconvincing couple, but I disagree. Even if they are seen as picture-perfect throughout a large chunk of the film, it comes out that they are anything but. In real life, even the happiest married couples have their own issues to fix. What some may have seen as unconvincing I more viewed as truth over interactions between couples.

That unexpected marriage-ruining detail for Marianne and Max was that Marianne had been a traitor this whole time and was giving information to the Germans. To be very honest, the twist made me sad but, the reason for it is understood. The pair was living an idyllic dream and that alone is unheard of. Something had to come and taint the so-called ‘perfection’ they seemed to share.

Max is told that he must then be the one to execute his wife for being a traitor, but Marianne takes her own life in front of him and a commanding officer of his. Before doing so, Marianne asks Max to please take care of their daughter, Anna.

That scene may be triggering to some. So, proceed accordingly. While the movie’s final scenes are pretty sad, what with a letter Marianne wrote to her and Max’s daughter finally being read aloud, the movie overall comes full-circle even if it was done so in a somber way.

Despite war/history films not being something I particularly like, Allied was wonderful. I would recommend this film to anyone who needs to sit back and watch an emotionally-driven tale unfurl.

(https://pixabay.com)

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