Mexican, The MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +3 Content: -4

Bungling criminal Jerry Wellbach (Brad Pitt) and his stressed out girlfriend, Samantha (Julia Roberts), break off their relationship because of his illegal activities. However, Jerry insists that his current job is the last one. He travels to Mexico to retrieve an antique gun called ‘The Mexican.’ His contact in Mexico, Beck (David Krumholtz), tells him about a curse attached to the weapon that overtakes anyone who possesses the gun. Sure enough, Jerry’s life spins out of control as he tries to get the gun back to the States. While Jerry copes with unexpected set-backs, a man (James Gandolfini) working for Jerry’s boss kidnaps Samantha to ensure timely delivery of the gun. THE MEXICAN casts Pitt in one of his more unique roles as a nice but humorously inept criminal. And like his inarticulate gypsy in SNATCH, Pitt successfully throws himself into the character. Although advertised as a light-hearted, action-comedy romance, which may attract the dating crowd, the movie carries a dark and violent side that may put a damper on final box office totals.

Jerry’s relatively simple quest is complicated by apparent coincidences that make his task that much more difficult. However, it’s clear that the characters involved see something controlling the fate of both Jerry and the gun. This recognition of a higher power dovetails with the legend of the weapon, which implies true love never ends. This significant, positive theme surfaces several times in the midst of this violent action/comedy. However, the significant graphic violence and foul language earn both the R-rating and a strong negative acceptability. A couple of gratuitous, violent scenes picture close-ups of bloody bullet wounds. In one, while the audience cannot see the initial wound, a man shot in the neck pulls down his turtleneck collar to reveal a blood-gushing wound. In addition to graphic violence, over 100 obscenities flood the partially bi-lingual dialogue. And one character, portrayed as homosexual, engages in an implied one-night-stand type same-sex encounter. Unfortunately, while some positive themes can be seen running through THE MEXICAN, the graphic violence and flood of vulgar language cross the borders of decency.

Preview Reviewer: John Adair
Distributor: Dreamworks, 100 Universal Plaza, Bldg. 477, Universal City, CA 91608