Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Jerry Welbach, a reluctant bagman, has been given two ultimatums: The first is from his mob boss to travel to Mexico and retrieve a priceless antique pistol, known as "the Mexican"... or suffer the consequences. The second is from his girlfriend Samantha to end his association with the mob. Jerry figures alive and in trouble with Samantha is better than the more permanent alternative, so he heads south of the border.
The Mexican has a charming cast—Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts have star power, and James Gandolfini delivers a surprisingly nuanced performance—but the film never quite coheres. The plot splits the leads apart for most of the runtime, undercutting the romcom chemistry audiences expected, and the road-trip/MacGuffin structure feels meandering. The Mexico-set cinematography has some color and energy but nothing distinctive. The concept had promise but the execution is uneven, and the ending resolves things too conveniently after a sluggish middle act. Overall a forgettable mid-tier star vehicle.