| Allied | |
|---|---|
.png) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Robert Zemeckis |
| Written by | Steven Knight |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Don Burgess |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Alan Silvestri |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 124 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Languages |
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| Budget | $85–113 million[2][3] |
| Box office | $119.5 million[2] |
Allied is a 2016romanticwardramathriller film directed byRobert Zemeckis and written bySteven Knight. It starsBrad Pitt as a Canadian intelligence officer andMarion Cotillard as aFrench Resistance fighter who fall in love while posing as a married couple during a mission inCasablanca in 1942.Jared Harris,Simon McBurney andLizzy Caplan also star.
Knight developed the script from a story told to him when he was 21.Principal photography began in February 2016 in London and continued in May 2016 in theCanary Islands, used to stand in forMorocco.Joanna Johnston designed the film's costumes, matching them to the characters' mindsets and situations.
The film premiered inLos Angeles on November 9, 2016, and was released in the United States on November 23, 2016, byParamount Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its costume design, cinematography, and musical score, but saw criticism for its screenplay and the lack of chemistry between the leads. It grossed $40.1 million domestic and $119 million worldwide against an approximate $85–113 million budget, becoming regarded as abox office flop. At the89th Academy Awards it was nominated forBest Costume Design.
In 1942 duringWorld War II,Wing Commander Max Vatan, aRoyal Canadian Air Force pilot with intelligence duties, travels toCasablanca inMorocco to assassinate a German ambassador. He is partnered with aFrench Resistance fighter, Marianne Beauséjour, who escaped from France after her resistance group was compromised and killed.
They pose as a married couple and grow close, despite agreeing that feelings can get people killed in their line of work. Marianne, who the Germans trust, secures Max an invitation to the party where they plan to conduct the assassination. On the day itself, they have sex inside a car in the middle of a desert sandstorm, knowing they might not survive. However, the mission is successful and they escape. Max asks Marianne to come with him to London and be his wife. They marry, settle down inHampstead, and have a baby girl they name Anna, born during a German air raid. A year later in 1944, Max learns from theSpecial Operations Executive that Marianne is suspected of being a German spy, having adopted her identity after the real Marianne was killed in France, and that the German ambassador they assassinated was a dissidentHitler wanted dead. To test their suspicions, the SOE runs a "blue dye" operation: Max is ordered to write down a piece offalse intelligence at home, where Marianne can find it. If the information is picked up from intercepted German transmissions, Max must personally execute her, and if he is found to be an accomplice he will be hanged for hightreason. He is told to otherwise act normally and not conduct his investigation.
Defiant, Max visits Guy Sangster, a former colleague who knew Marianne; however, Sangster, blinded in the war, cannot confirm her identity. He reveals that resistance fighter Paul Delamare, who worked with Marianne in France, is still alive inDieppe and could identify her. Max finds a young pilot, Adam Hunter, who gives him a photograph with a "classified" note—asking if the woman in the photo is Marianne Beauséjour—and instructs him to obtain a "yes" or "no" answer from Delamare. Max and Marianne host a house party. His commanding officer, Frank Heslop, comes and tells him that Hunter was killed while waiting on the ground for the answer from Delamare and berates him for his insubordination. Max wonders if what he was told about Marianne is a test of his loyalty as part of a promotion toV-Section. The next evening, Max takes the place of aLysander pilot and flies to France to meet Delamare, who is being held at the local police station. Max and the local resistance break into the town's jail, but Delamare is drunk and unconvincingly verifies the picture. The delay gives the French police officer room to alert the Germans, whom Max and the resistance manage to defeat. Before leaving, Delamare tells Max that Marianne was a talented pianist who had once playedLa Marseillaise in a café in defiance of the occupying Germans in the early stages of the war. Back in England, Max takes Marianne to a localpub and demands she play the piano, but she cannot. She admits she is a spy and forwarded the "blue dye" message, which Max left in plain view. She insists her feelings for Max are genuine, and that she was forced back into being a spy because German agents were threatening Anna.
Max, unwilling to kill her, tells her they must flee the country. He kills Marianne's Germanhandlers, a nanny, and a jeweler. They drive to a local airbase. Max reaches his plane and gets to start it before Heslop and themilitary police arrive. He tries to plead his case before Heslop and the officers, but Marianne tells him that she loves him, and asks him to take care of Anna, then she shoots and kills herself. Heslop orders the military police officers to report that Max executed Marianne as per his orders so that Max will not be punished. After the war, Max moves along with his daughter Anna to a ranch inMedicine Hat,Alberta.
In February 2015, it was announced thatRobert Zemeckis was set to direct the film, then only known as an untitledWorld War II romantic thriller, in whichBrad Pitt would star.[4]Steven Knight wrote the original screenplay. It had been a story he had first heard when he was 21 and had travelled with his girlfriend toTexas to visit her family. Her aunt told him the story of how her brother had fallen for a French woman who became pregnant with his child and how he brought her to theUnited States where she gave birth. It was discovered she was a German spy, and, on orders from his superiors, the brother killed her.[5] Knight had desired to make it into a film since that point. While researching for the film, he was never able to find any reference to the story, but did not rule out its accuracy.[6] He shared the story with Pitt, and from there the production began developing.[7][8] In June 2015,Marion Cotillard was cast to play a spy along with Pitt, who fall in love during a mission to kill a German official.[9]Alan Silvestri, who has served frequently as composer for Zemeckis's films, was hired in October.[10] In January 2016,Jared Harris joined the film,[11] withLizzy Caplan cast in March.[12]
Principal photography on the film began in February 2016 inLondon, with the family home located on the corners of Christchurch Hill and Willow Road inHampstead.[13]Southwark was also used for filming, particularly atPullens Yard.[14] To keep within budget, many of the film's scenes were shot in a formerGillette factory as, according to VFX supervisor Kevin Baillie, most of the remaining studio space had been occupied by biggerStar Wars andMarvel films. Production designer Gary Freeman coordinated a construction schedule that allowed for space used for filming a hospital courtyard scene to be redesigned for scenes involving aSoho pub within the span of two days. Studio space atElstree Studios andLH2 Studios were also utilized for the London shoot.[15] CinematographerDon Burgess stated that all of the more complex scenes for the film were mapped out prior to filming using a style ofvirtual cinematography, a technique they had used for 2004'sThe Polar Express. Burgess and Zemeckis elected to break the film down into six specific visual appearances to match the changing tone and settings for the film.[16] In May 2016 scenes set inCasablanca were shot inGran Canaria,Canary Islands.[17] Freeman stated that filming in the Canary Islands happened as finding locations in Morocco proved a challenge due to the architecture of cities like Casablanca andTangiers changing significantly since the time period the film is set in.[18] The airfield scenes were shot atRAF Halton that was decorated to look likeRAF Hendon during World War II.[19]
For when his character spoke French in the film, Pitt worked with Cotillard to help develop his accent.[20] Cotillard tookfirearm training for the film, but was never fully comfortable holding the weapon. Filming of the assassination scene was interrupted when Cotillard "freaked out" while handling the weapon. To help with her discomfort, Zemeckis instructed her to put the lock on themachine gun she would use.[21]
Designer and frequent Zemeckis collaboratorJoanna Johnston provided the costume design on the film, and was given free rein by Zemeckis on the designs.[22] Due to the quick process of the pre-production, little more than two weeks were available to Johnston for research. She described in an interview that she sought to give the costumes a polished, glossy look. For influence, Johnston paid visits to theImperial War Museum in London, a practice she had also done when working on other war set films such asSaving Private Ryan,Valkyrie andWar Horse; looked at the wardrobes ofGolden Age actressesLauren Bacall,Barbara Stanwyck andKatharine Hepburn, as well as the wardrobes utilized in the filmsCasablanca andNow, Voyager.[23][24][25] Johnston shaped the style of the costumes around the characters, and particular focus was on Marianne, whose clothing altered with the development of the plot. "I wanted her to look very assured in the first part of the film, in Casablanca.", said Johnston, "I looked at a lot of French style and fashion plates from the time, and I made her look very clean and graphic. When she goes to London, she takes on a mantle of being a mother and wife, so I put her in warmer tones. But you never really know who she is."[26]
All of the outfits in the film were custom-made for the cast. The silver cross, worn by Brad Pitt in the film, was also custom-made by London-based jeweller Stephen Einhorn.[27] Several versions of the costumes were made, with eight versions of a long green dress worn by Cotillard in the film being specifically noted.[28]
The film was scored by Zemeckis' regular collaboratorAlan Silvestri in their 16th film together, ever since their collaboration withRomancing the Stone (1984).[29] The album consisted 13 tracks from Silvestri's score released bySony Classical Records on November 11, 2016.[30]
Silvestri recorded the score at the Abbey Road Studios in London, after filming was wrapped. He did not allude to the period in the score, as "it was not an action score on any level" and while the film is about war, he did not need to play this as a World War II film. He augmented the 80-piece orchestra with electronic music throughout the film and reflected the period through newly recorded versions of 1940s classical songs played with gusto by London big bands.[31]
The film had its worldwide premiere on November 9, 2016, at theRegency Village Theatre inLos Angeles.[32]Paramount Pictures released the film on Wednesday, November 23, 2016.[33]
Allied was released onDigital HD on February 14, 2017,[34] and on Blu-ray andDVD on February 28, 2017.[35][36]
Allied grossed $40.1 million in the United States and Canada and $79.4 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $119.5 million, against a net production budget of $85 million.[2]The Hollywood Reporter estimated the film lost the studio $75–90 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues, and was listed amongst the year'sbox office flops.[37]
Allied opened alongsideMoana,Rules Don't Apply andBad Santa 2 as well as the wide expansion ofLoving and was expected to gross around $15 million in its opening weekend and $20–25 million over its first five days from 3,160 theaters.[38][39] The film ended up grossing $12.7 million in its opening weekend (a five-day total of $17.7 million), finishing 4th at the box office.[40] It remained in fourth place in its second weekend with a gross of $7 million.[41]
Thereview aggregate siteRotten Tomatoes givesAllied an approval rating of 60% based on 258 reviews, and aweighted average of 6.20/10. The site's consensus states: "Allied has its moments, but doesn't quite achieve epic wartime romance status—a disappointment made more profound by the dazzling talent assembled on either side of the camera."[42]Metacritic reports a normalized score of 60 out of 100, based on 44 critics.[43] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, whilePostTrak reported filmgoers gave a 79% overall positive score and a 56% "definite recommend".[40]
Stephanie Zacharek ofTime stated that "Even within this highly synthetic world, Pitt and Cotillard give sturdy, coded performances that feel naturalistic, not phony: They understand clearly that their chief mission is to tap the tradition of melodrama, and they take it seriously. Somehow, almost incomprehensibly, it all works.Allied looks old but smells new, and the scent is heady."[44] Eric Eisenberg fromCinemaBlend gave the film four out of five, praising the performances of Pitt and Cotillard and stating they "prove again why they're two of the best in the business."[45] Rex Reed fromThe New York Observer gave the film four out of four, writing: "Beautiful, bold and blazing with sex and suspense,Allied is a gorgeously photographed, intensely romantic, action-packed film by the great director Robert Zemeckis with two titanic star performances by Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard that delivers something for everyone."[46] AtDeadline Hollywood, Pete Hammond, in addition to praising the performances, screenplay and direction, gave praise toAlan Silvestri's score, citing it as one of his best works.[47] ForRogerEbert.com, Peter Sobcynzki gave the film 4 stars, highlighting the music fromAlan Silvestri, the cinematography fromDon Burgess and the costume design fromJoanna Johnston. In his summary he wrote, "It is a lovely homage to the kind of entertainment thatHollywood used to put out in the day without breaking a sweat, while still strong and sure enough to work on viewers who have never seen any of the films to which it pays tribute."[48]
Conversely,The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gary Rotstein wrote that notwithstanding "so many shared plot references [to]Casablanca", while that film is "among the greatest films of all time ... the other is about as flat as one of those WWII wall maps on which swastikas denote all the German-occupied parts of Europe".[49]Peter Bradshaw, in his 2 star review forThe Guardian, cited the film as "arduous" and the script as "an unconvincing and sluggish pastiche of a war movie". He also wrote critically of Pitt and Cotillard's chemistry, comparing them to "thesp robots fromWestworld with some kind ofGoogle Translate chip implanted in their heads".[50] David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporter was also critical of Pitt and Cotillard's chemistry, stating "neither Pitt nor Cotillard is terribly persuasive at conveying the smoldering passions that catch Max and Marianne off guard after their initially circumspect interactions". This tied into his criticisms of Knight's screenplay, which he referred to as "flaccid".[51] Oliver Lyttleton ofThe Playlist shared similar sentiments about the script, finding any aspect of Knight's script that appeared to focus on the characters and deceit of the situation to be "constantly undermined by the actual execution". Lyttleton was also critical of the visual effects and the third act of the film, drawing a comparison of "malevolently" splicing scenes ofMichael Bay'sPearl Harbor intoAlfred Hitchcock'sNotorious.[52] Robert Abele ofTheWrap thought about the screenplay "Screenwriter Knight fumbles with the plot’s emotional impulses and ticking plot requirements, with neither holding ground long enough to give the movie momentum." Abele was also critical of the lead performances and their chemistry, referring to Pitt as "miscast" and finding Cotillard ill-fitting for her role.[53]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | February 26, 2017 | Best Costume Design | Joanna Johnston | Nominated | [54] |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 12, 2017 | Best Costume Design | Nominated | [55] | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | December 11, 2016 | Best Costume Design | Nominated | [56] | |
| Jupiter Awards | March 29, 2017 | Best International Actor | Brad Pitt | Nominated | [57] |
| Satellite Awards | February 19, 2017 | Best Art Direction and Production Design | Gary Freeman | Nominated | [58] |
| Best Sound | Allied | Nominated | |||
| Saturn Awards | June 28, 2017 | Best Action or Adventure Film | Nominated | [59] | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 7, 2017 | Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature | Kevin Baillie, Brennan Doyle, Viktor Muller, Sandra Scott and Richard Van Den Bergh | Nominated | [60] |
| Women Film Critics Circle | December 19, 2016 | Best Screen Couple | Allied | Nominated | [61] |
| Best Equality of the Sexes | Nominated |
"When we were recording Allied recently, I introduced Bob [Robert Zemeckis] at the end of the film because he loves to thank the orchestra. I told everyone this was the 16th film we'd made together over a span of 33 years, and Bob added it was 16 in a row. He has never worked with another composer since our first time together, which wasRomancing the Stone.
