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Mr & Mrs Smith: this totally charming spy caper is what happens when you put two incredible actors together
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Mr & Mrs Smith: this totally charming spy caper is what happens when you put two incredible actors together

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I recently viewed the movie La La Land, which was released in 2016. I believe that the best approach to watching highly debated films is to do so several years after their initial release, such as in the year 2031 when I plan on watching Barbie.

Additionally, the chemistry between Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in the movie is truly remarkable. Their exceptional acting skills certainly contribute to their dynamic on-screen presence, with Gosling being a masterful line-reader and Stone continuously choosing great projects. The way they interact with each other is electrifying and unmatched by any other recent on-screen pairings. It’s not just their physical attractiveness that draws viewers in, but also their playful banter and effortless charm. One can easily envision them having explosive arguments just as much as living together happily in love, similar to the beloved Nick-Jess relationship that lasted seven seasons on New Girl.

I believe that Hollywood should dedicate a month every January to testing their actors and greenlighting any potential pairings in order to increase the availability of the rare resource of chemistry. Despite my numerous emails, Netflix and other major studios have failed to respond to this suggestion.

The miniseries version of the 2005 movie Mr & Mrs Smith, starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, will be released on Prime Video on February 2nd. Some may argue that the chemistry between the two leads was too strong in the original film. Co-creator and showrunner Francesca Sloane acknowledged this in an open letter, stating that the series may not be necessary in a culture filled with remakes. However, the involvement of Donald Glover and Hiro Murai, as well as the captivating chemistry between the leads, elevates the show to a clever and textured level beyond its simple premise of spies with domestic responsibilities.

The pairing consists of Glover, known for his work in “everything”, and Maya Erskine from PEN15. Originally, Phoebe Waller-Bridge was supposed to play the role of Jolie, but due to production issues, Erskine was given the opportunity. Both Glover and Waller-Bridge have had successful TV careers and signed significant contracts with Prime Video. The first episode follows the two spies as they navigate a mission in New York City, getting to know each other and chasing a suspect through busy city streets. Together, they deliver an excellent performance.

The movie is enjoyable without being overly simplistic, the dialogue is engaging without being cheesy, and there are some exciting spy scenes. It is filmed from interesting angles, the lead actor, Glover, gives a great performance as usual, and there are some impressive guest appearances (John Turturro, Sharon Horgan, and Paul Dano) that add to the glamour while the main plot slowly unfolds. There is definitely something sneaky or deceiving happening, but I am so captivated by the action in the brownstone that I keep getting sidetracked.

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Sometimes spy stuff can be a bit exhausting – yeah mate, you’re talking into your wrist while sprinting full pelt through Euston station, I think I may have rumbled your cover there – especially when every bullet hits first time, every jump out of a window ends in an elegant landing, every hack is successful in the nick of time and every outlandish think-fast wheeze works out for the best. The Smiths, refreshingly, keep mucking up, and the show is better for it. There are set pieces I’ve never seen before, and the car chases always seem as if they might actually end in a crash, and the scenes between the pair are given enough space to breathe so they can bicker and flirt without having to say: “Go. Now!” And chase someone up some stairs. It’s an ancient formula – “what if two actors were really good together on screen?” But it’s astonishing how little it gets used. Hopefully the studios ignoring my emails will simply watch this and take note.

Source: theguardian.com