I finally got to watch this movie tonight. I was expecting a cheesy ‘B’ movie and was, instead, pleasantly surprised to find myself laughing with a well-done action/comedy/romance. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie team up in this film to play assassins working for competing companies who discover each other’s secret. The ensuing action is fast-paced without being overdone and without destroying any semblance of plot. The dialogue is witty and hilarious, the scripting well-written, and the soundtrack outstanding. Acting is as much body language as delivering lines, and Pitt and Jolie are masters of their craft. Much of the communication between the two heroes was done through subtle facial expressions that left me either writhing with laughter or empathizing at their emotional plight, as they struggled to discover each other, even as they struggled for their lives.

Of course, with any shootout it is always amusing to note how little injury the heroes sustain. Hundreds of bullets fly through the air and nary a one inflicts any significant wound, either speeding past and around the heroes or impacting ‘harmlessly’ on their body armor. Pitt’s friend Eddie was also somewhat less than believable as a fellow assassin, providing only minimal comedy relief with his inane babbling about armchair psychology.

_Mr. & Mrs. Smith_ was a wholly enjoyable film, one that I watched twice and laughed out loud in all the same places both times. Despite the irony of trained assassins working to save their marriage, the message of commitment in the face of adversity was strong and heart-warming. Now, if only Pitt and Jolie can make it work in real life…