Brad Pitt has forsaken the lowlife British boxing rings he livened up in "Snatch," for a dusty Mexican desert dotted with pueblos and bad guys in "The Mexican."
Now, the Mexican in question isn't Pitt who plays Jerry Welbach, a reluctant bagman; it's a priceless, antique Mexican pistol which he must retrieve, or get snuffed, as we say south of the border, by an angry mob boss. However, that's not all –- the plot thickens faster than a bowl of overcooked cornmeal when his girlfriend Samantha (Julia Roberts) forbids his going after the prized gun.
Even Welbach sees the wisdom of disregarding Samantha's ultimatum for the time being in order to retrieve the gun and stay alive long enough to make the appropriate amends. But it isn't that easy. The gun supposedly carries a curse, which Welbach begins to believe after Samantha gets kidnaped by a hit man to ensure the safe return of the pistol.
The hit man (James Gandolfini of HBO's "The Sopranos"), from some reports almost steals the show as he and his captive, Samantha, get to know each other. This is the first encounter for Roberts and Pitt, but reviewers say they aren't on screen together long enough to stir up any caliente frijoles, just some refried beans.
You might want to bring a taco or some beans with you — the movie is two hours long. It is directed by Gore Verbinski ("Mouse Hunt"), and is rated R for violence and language.
It starts Thursday at Diamond Cinemas.