Most critics find Allied a handsome, old-fashioned wartime romance that does not quite move them. The reviews lean mildly positive, with ten in favour, seven mixed and six against, and almost everyone reaches for the words old-fashioned at some point. Praise settles on Robert Zemeckis’s craft: the period production design, the patient suspense sequences, and a camera move in a desert sandstorm that Empire singles out. Marion Cotillard’s performance is the element most consistently admired across the board.
The reservations gather around the central romance. Several critics say Brad Pitt is stiff and that the two leads have no convincing chemistry, and a few complain that the film loses momentum in its second half. The spread is wide. Deadline and Consequence find it thoroughly entertaining, while The Hollywood Reporter and The New Yorker find it inert and dramatically empty. The British press is notably cooler than the American, with The Guardian, The i Paper and the Evening Standard all unimpressed.
A
The AV Club
22 November 2016 · B · A.A. Dowd
77
Dowd finds Allied an admirable old-fashioned thriller that ultimately fails to deliver a genuine emotional punch. He praises Zemeckis’s suspenseful set pieces and visual craftsmanship, while faulting Brad Pitt’s flat performance.
Chang finds the film a handsome, fitfully effective old-fashioned espionage romance with a touching emotional finish. He praises Cotillard’s enigmatic performance and Zemeckis’ visual craftsmanship, while noting Pitt’s stiffness and the film’s limited perspective.
The available headline suggests a favorable verdict on this glossy wartime romance. It singles out the production’s class and seductive Golden Age appeal.
Gleiberman finds the old-fashioned espionage romance tense and absorbing, though its climax fails to make the film emotionally persuasive. He praises the supple craft and the chemistry between Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard.
Edelstein finds Allied a charming, old-fashioned romantic espionage film, though it is more a beautiful vintage trifle than a substantial work. He praises the leads’ appeal and period clothes, as well as Steven Knight’s clever twists and dialogue.
The page content is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is available from the material provided.
The review finds the film’s central mystery too linear and insufficiently suspenseful, despite its bleak view of wartime systems. It praises the leads’ performances and Zemeckis’s large-scale visuals in intimate scenes.
Jenkins finds the wartime romance glossy but emotionally hollow and ultimately forgettable. He singles out Brad Pitt’s movie-star presence as a brief pleasure, while criticizing the film’s lack of feeling and psychological depth.
The review describes the film as a watchable, old-fashioned WWII romantic thriller. It criticizes the lack of chemistry between Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard.
The review finds the old-school thriller underpowered, despite its moments. It praises Cotillard’s performance and singles out a striking camera move in a desert sandstorm.
Brooks calls the film a passionless, plodding thriller that loses momentum in its second half. He singles out Brad Pitt’s flat performance and the leads’ unconvincing chemistry.
The review finds the film flat and lacking in substance, chiefly because Pitt and Cotillard have no convincing chemistry. It praises the sumptuous production design and a Hitchcockian murder sequence, but says the style cannot rescue the sluggish direction.
Sexton finds the wartime romance stagey and emotionally unconvincing, with the film failing to escape its stars’ off-screen drama. He praises the lovely Lysander aircraft as a standout detail.
Rooney finds the film inert and emotionally unconvincing, with sluggish pacing and little romantic chemistry. He praises Marion Cotillard’s magnetic presence, which gives occasional affecting moments to an otherwise weak central romance.
Brody finds the film dramatically empty despite its emotional pull, arguing that nostalgia overwhelms its human dimension. He particularly criticizes its cardboard heroes and lifeless treatment of their inner lives.
The critic calls it damn fine entertainment, praising its lively mix of old-fashioned espionage and modern style. He particularly singles out Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard’s sharp, emotionally engaging performances.
Hammond calls Allied a supremely entertaining, romantic spy thriller and a glorious return to classic storytelling. He especially praises the performances of Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, along with the film’s production design and score.
Oller gives the film a positive verdict, praising its tense, carefully constructed spycraft and relationship drama. He singles out the visual storytelling as a strength, though he finds some showy camera work and romantic spectacle overdone.
The review finds Allied perfectly enjoyable but not the tension-filled tour-de-force its trailers suggest. It praises Marion Cotillard’s captivating performance and Zemeckis’s patient buildup of tension, while finding Brad Pitt less convincing when emotionally stretched.
The critic finds Allied a thoroughly gripping drama whose suspense overcomes several dated or clichéd elements. They praise its Hitchcockian tension, carefully planted clues, and palpable chemistry between Pitt and Cotillard.
Goldberg calls the film a lackluster missed opportunity, especially because its central conflict loses dramatic interest in the second half. He praises Marion Cotillard’s intense performance, but faults the story for reducing her character to a puzzle for Max to solve.
The critic finds the film handsome but ultimately thin, emotionally unengaging, and burdened by creaky suspense. They single out Pitt and Cotillard’s lack of chemistry and awkward performances as a central weakness.
Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate
