While he might not be part of the public zeitgeist like Steven Spielberg, Zemeckis has produced, written, and directed some of the most popular and influential films of our time.
This is the filmmaker behind the "Back to the Future" trilogy. He won an Oscar for directing "Forrest Gump." He also directed "Cast Away," "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "The Polar Express."
In many respects, his filmography has been "Spielberg-lite" -- popcorn movies and family films, along with robust, crowd-pleasing dramas.
So I was somewhat surprised to see his name attached to a throwback spy drama set in World War II.
More to the point, "Allied" is a small, quiet movie about a British spy named Max Vatan (a wing commander in the RAF from Canada) whose wife (a French Resistance fighter) is suspected of being a sleeper agent colluding with the Germans.
"Allied" begins with Vatan (Brad Pitt) parachuting into the deserts of 1942 French Morocco during the height of World War II. He is set to rendezvous with fellow spy Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard). Together, the two pose as a married couple, and maneuver their way toward an assassination attempt of the German ambassador stationed in Casablanca.
The pair becomes romantically entangled during the mission, culminating in Max's hasty proposal to Marianne during a tense getaway sequence.
From there, we see the two marry in London, have a baby (Marianne gives birth in the streets of London during the middle of a bombing raid), and forge a spartan domestic life together.
Their idyllic existence is thrown askew when Vatan is approached by his superiors in the British military -- who inform Max that Marianne is suspected of transmitting military secrets to Nazi Germany.
They order Max to aid them in running a "blue dye" operation on his wife -- leaving a piece of fake information in the home, and seeing if she transmits it.
From there, the story steers its way into Hitchcock territory, and the viewer is presented with clues, red herrings and contradictions as Vatan tries to learn the truth of his wife's identity.
"Allied" at times feels like it would have been better suited to the look and feel of classic romantic thrillers of the 1940s and 50s -- you can almost envision Pitt and Cotillard on black-and-white film, lit "noir style," with soft lens filters capturing their every move.
To say the film is quiet is an understatement. There is little in the way of musical score in the movie, and ambient noise is kept to a minimum.
The film's retro vibe is somewhat marred by a string of f-bombs (unnecessary), and a couple uncomfortable sex scenes (also unnecessary). Zemeckis and company should have played things straight in this instance.
Whether or not today's audience will embrace a film that gently sprouts like spring tulip is another issue entirely.
What cannot be denied is that Zemeckis manages to ramp up the narrative in a manner that deceptively pulls along the viewer.
And as the story reaches its zenith, you find your mind swirling and churning.
Here's the teaser trailer:
Rated R, Runtime: 1 hr 56 min
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