The Mexican

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The Mexican ★★ 2001 (R)

South-of-the-border snorer has Jerry (Pitt), an inept gofer for mobster Margolese (Hackman), on a mission for a priceless antique gun with a name which gives the movie its title. Jerry's quirky girlfriend Samantha (Roberts) wants him to go straight and, when he refuses, heads to Vegas to pursue her dreams of becoming a croupier. Sam's dreams are temporarily sidetracked when she's kidnapped as leverage for the supposedly cursed gun by homosexual hitman Leroy (Gandolfini). Gandolfini is farand-away the standout as the sensitive hood with whom Samantha bonds during her captivity. Screwball romantic comedy is neither, as the few but much-anticipated scenes with Pitt and Roberts are easily outshone by Roberts' chemistry with Gandolfini. Pitt does his part, providing some comic moments in Mexico but can't save cliched tale. 123m/C VHS, DVD . US Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, James Gandolfini, Bob Balaban, Gene Hackman, J.K. Simmons, David Krumholtz, Michael Ceveris; D: Gore Verbinski; W: J.H. Wyman; C: Darius Wolski; M: Alan Silvestri.

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