THE MEXICAN (15)

A STORY about love, guns and a dog.

The Mexican lines up the Oscar-winning talent of Julia Roberts with the masterful acting skills of Brad Pitt.

Two huge names on one relatively small screen, and if you listen to most critics, this combination is doomed to fail.

However, director Gore Verbinski's handling of the two stars, I think, deserves a bit more credit.

The big names spend most of the film apart which is the key to success because the little amount of screentime they spend together is a bit overpowering as they both try to hog the limelight and become slightly frustrating.

The story is simple, Jerry Welbach (Pitt) has to complete one last job to pay his debt to a Mexican gangster-type.

He is given the job of retrieving a cursed antique gun from San Miguel but the task is not as simple as it seems, especially when his girlfriend, Samantha Barzel (Roberts), uproots for a new life in Las Vegas.

When his bosses think Jerry has double crossed them they send Leroy (James Gandolfini) to kidnap Samantha for insurance, and then things become interesting.

As simple as the story sounds, there is a lot more to it than that with two or three sub-plots surrounding the main quest for the gun.

There are a good couple of twists and the tension is certainly present right up until the end.

The film touches upon two hours, which is erring on the long side, but the ending is good enough to make it worthwhile.

There is unquestionably something missing in the first 30 minutes, perhaps the expectancy placed upon the two stars to combine and produce an amazing piece of cinema is too much.

But after they split up at the start the pair come into their own, gracing the screen with their presence and acting abilities.

Gandolfini is not to be sniffed at either, as he more than competes with the talent on show.

Definitely enjoyable, funny, dramatic and more than watchable.

Verdict: A tequila slammer

Rating: 6/10

Reviewed by Pete Henshaw

Picture - Mexican rave - Brad Pitt impresses in his latest outing.