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Mexican, The
DreamWorks Distribution


6.6

based on 35 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 15 votes
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Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: R for violence and language

Starring Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, James Gandolfini, David Krumholtz, Gene Hackman, Luis Felipe Tovar, and Bob Balaban

Jerry Welbach (Pitt) is a reluctant bagman who has been given two ultimatums: The first is from his mob boss to travel to Mexico and retrieve a priceless antique pistol, known as "The Mexican"...or suffer the consequences. The second is from his girlfriend Samantha (Roberts) to end his association with the mob. Jerry figures alive and in trouble with Samantha is better than the more permanent alternative, so he heads south of the border. (Dreamworks SKG)

GENRE(S):	Romance
WRITTEN BY:	J.H. Wyman
DIRECTED BY:	Gore Verbinski
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: August 7, 2001 Video: August 7, 2001 Theatrical: March 2, 2001
RUNNING TIME:	123 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Gandolfini's fans expect something quirky whenever he shows up, and they'll get what they've bargained for.

Mr. Showbiz Cody Clark

The plot that propels them (Pitt, Roberts) along separate story lines is both unusually character-driven and a hoot.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Plenty of killings abound, nevertheless the film is a masterful -- albeit warped -- love-story-cum-road-movie that revolves around three of the most invigorating performances of the year.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

Surprisingly enjoyable.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Gandolfini comes in from left field and provides a character with dimensions and surprises, bringing out the best in Roberts. Their dialogue scenes are the best reason to see the movie.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

Together, the two of them (Pitt, Roberts) are cute as a bug.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Lively acting and stylish directing make this an engaging comedy-drama, although its attitude toward guns and violence is disconcertingly romantic.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

For a Hollywood studio movie, you see, The Mexican is remarkably strange and eccentric with a plot like a wrinkled bed sheet and a black comic sensibility that consistently swerves away from the cliches that have been established in this Age of Tarantino.

Washington Post Rita Kempley

Like many of his recent films, The Mexican would be an independent movie if Pitt, not to mention the queen of popcorn cinema, weren't part of the picture. This is not your typical star vehicle.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

This violently comic caper has some spunky charm going for it -- but has a lot of self-consciously hip, studied wackiness going against it.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Apparently intended as a larky, character-driven adventure with dark underpinnings, this attenuated road movie was originally envisioned as a vehicle for relative unknowns, and might have worked better that way.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

A seemingly mad dog periodically turns into a well-trained pet.

Variety Todd McCarthy

An intensely whimsical shaggy-dog crime story that ricochets between goofy violence and some endearing personal moments.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

The movie's biggest strength is a story that refuses to quit and almost makes sense within its own screwball logic.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

It's not the fault of "The Sopranos" charismatic, beefy star (Gandolfini) that he's an actor of such substance and quiet ardor as to make idle movie star ribbitting look frivolous.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

Flails about desperately for a genre to call home.

USA Today Mike Clark

Superstars usually avoid movies this spiritless, and it's tough to believe anyone could read this script and fail to realize the movie wouldn't end up going anywhere.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Gandolfini, who skillfully fleshes out what's written as a one-joke character, comes close to pilfering The Mexican from the stars. Under the circumstances, that's not a huge accomplishment.

San Francisco Chronicle Bob Graham

Thank God for James Gandolfini.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

Isolated offbeat moments aside, The Mexican mostly fires blanks.

Slate David Edelstein

A passably diverting entry in the Tarantino genre of splatter and yuks and soulfully bumbling hit men.

Chicago Tribune Mark Caro

Plays like a drawn-out outline of a better movie; no one got around to fleshing out the details or providing some soul.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

The Mexican is its own worst enemy, consistently undermining its best efforts. The result is an over-long series of quirks, a film that's far less than the sum of its often amusing and ingenious parts.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

If The Mexican proves anything, it's that eccentric features need a particularly delicate touch to be successful. With a film like this, how close you come doesn't matter: Off by a little is as debilitating as off by a lot.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

Can't lift the double curse of too little genuine action, as opposed to quixotic events, and too many fancy words.

New York Magazine Peter Rainer

He's (Gandolfini) the true star of the film, and his stardom is achieved in the most honest of ways, through the sheer brute force of his talent.

Village Voice J. Hoberman

Intermittently appealing, fundamentally dysfunctional action-comedy.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

Undisciplined and overstuffed with enough surplus plot twists to make your neck ache, The Mexican affects the tousled look of a self-conscious indie.

Dallas Observer Gregory Weinkauf

A dismaying dearth of romantic chemistry -- during their brief scenes together, the two (Pitt, Roberts) actually seem afraid to touch each other -- and we end up with a Frankenstein's monster of a movie: lots of interesting pieces cobbled together with all the stitches showing.

Salon.com Charles Taylor

The entire movie looks as if it were processed in the toilet of a Tijuana jail cell. Shot by Dariusz Wolski in colors that are bleached out, over bright and flat, The Mexican is the ugliest-looking major studio release in recent memory.

Time Richard Schickel

Half comedy, half action piece, the movie runs sputteringly on the not inconsiderable charm of its stars. But basically it is languid, indeterminate and uninvolving.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Feels patently inauthentic.

Newsweek David Ansen

A tired, confused romantic comedy/noir thriller with all the suspense of an infomercial. Buy the poster; skip the movie.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Promises a road movie of blissful comic romance and delivers a series of dramatic dead ends.

Film.com Robert Horton

Has even less directorial initiative than it has romantic spark.

The average user rating for this movie is 6.6 (out of 10) based on 15 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Kevin R. gave it a9:
I really don't understand all the critics on this one. I'm usually not taken by this sort of film and have never been a Roberts fan, but this show is actually (amazingly) one of my favorite films ... I'm not sure why but it, for me is perfect blend of genres - I own it. Love it.

Andrew T. gave it a5:
The best scenes are between James Gandolfini and Julia Roberts: some of these are quite affecting. Gandolfini's character is interesting and his acting excellent. The rest of the film is an action/romantics farce which I found fun and entertaining until about the last 20 minutes, which I had to force myself to watch.

Joel gave it a5:
Even the all star cast couldnt really bring alot out of what is an average script at best. Roberts, Pitt and Gandolfini were all superb but at the end of the day the storyline got lost in itself and by the end I couldnt wait for it to finish.

Pat C. gave it a4:
A truly miserable little movie. But when Julia Robert's character goes into hyper female banshee mode, authenticity briefly emerges. As for the stop light at the flat desert road junction, anyone who discounts that traffic in Mexico can come out of nowhere has never driven there.

Christian G. gave it a5:
Roberts and Pitt are charming, but they are apart most of the movie so we can't enjoy to see them together that much. Gandolfini is the real deal here, he is one amazing comedy actor.

raVen gave it an 8:
Don't understand the critics on this one, unless they just had to let out all those bad reviews Julia and/or Brad hadn't let them vent in a while. The movie's truly funny--not least for its well-timed soundtrack and Pitt's I-can't-believe-that-just-happened-to-me expressions. Rent it. You'll have fun.

Mary Z. gave it a 6:
Although Roberts and Pitt make a cute couple, Gandolfini and the mad dog steal the show. Suficiently enjoyable.

Mexican, The DreamWorks Distribution

Mexican, The
DreamWorks Distribution