The Mexican (2001)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Gore Verbinski

Writer (WGA):

J.H. Wyman (written by)

Release Date:

2 March 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Romance

Tagline:

love with the safety off

Plot:

A man tries to transport an ancient gun called The Mexican, believed to carry a curse, back across the border, while his girlfriend pressures him to give up his criminal ways.

Plot Keywords:

Pistol | Curse | Mob | Gay | Hostage

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Brad Pitt	...	Jerry Welbach
Julia Roberts	...	Samantha Barzel
James Gandolfini	...	Winston Baldry
J.K. Simmons	...	Ted Slocum
Bob Balaban	...	Bernie Nayman
Sherman Augustus	...	Well Dressed Black Man
Michael Cerveris	...	Frank
Richard Coca	...	Car Thief #1
David Krumholtz	...	Beck
Castulo Guerra	...	Joe the Pawnshop Owner
Mayra Serbulo	...	Emanuelle (as Maira Serbulo)
Salvador Sánchez	...	Gunsmith
Alan Ciangherotti	...	Gunsmith's Assistant (as Alan Cianguerotti)
Melisa Romero	...	Gunsmith's Daughter
Ernesto Gómez Cruz	...	Tropillo

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Malaysia:18PL (uncut) | Malaysia:U (cut) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:MA (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

Belz Factory Outlet Mall - 7400 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

James Gandolfini reportedly lost 35 pounds for his role as Winston, all of which he had to gain back before shooting re-commenced on the upcoming season of "The Sopranos" (1999) because producer David Chase believed that "The Sopranos" audience would not like a "skinny" Tony (Soprano).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): After saving Samantha's life, Winston puts the latex gloves he used into the trash, enabling police to lift his fingerprints off them.

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Car Rental Rep: Raoul!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: The Making of 'The Mexican' (#8.1)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Why Can't We Be Friends

Roberts Ruined It

GOOD - Story was interesting the first time around.....loved the cinematography; nice Mexican scenery.... liked Brad Pitt's dialog and his character was fun to watch.....enjoyed the few side-bits with the dog and was surprised when Gene Hackman showed up late in the film.

BAD - Julia Roberts ruined this film, at least by the second viewing. She was either yelling at Pitt all the time or gushing over a hit-man who admitted he was gay, and both routines wore thin. She thought (being gay) that was just the greatest thing and really overdid it.

Overall, if you modified Roberts' character into someone less abrasive this might have been a "keeper."