How easy it is to forget that the first “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” drew us with the unspoken invitation to do a chemistry read. Otherwise, Doug Liman’s 2005 action comedy is a slight distraction – fun, but indistinct. Its main salvation was the casting of a meteoric, versatile screen talent from which stunning achievements were expected, and partnering her with Brad Pitt.
Its second grace was that Pitt and his wife Jennifer Aniston announced their separation months before the movie came out, confirming the tabloid rumors that he’d strayed with his co-star Angelina Jolie. Audiences flocked to this movie, making it a modest hit, less for the premise than out of a curiosity to see whether anything onscreen tipped off that these two were smashing.
