Allied

Bombs away!

Phew! They don't make them like this any more. Come to think of it, they never have made them quite like this. A most unfamiliar return to the familiar.

For all the effort poured into period recreation, the world of the film remains abstract, bordering on fantasy.

It often feels like two different movies - when it's in thriller mode, it's a genuinely compelling film but the sweeping romantic period drama doesn't work nearly as well.

Cotillard is the sole bright spot, and even she risks being upstaged by her fantastic wardrobe.

Zemeckis is a master of the big, broad Oscar-bait drama, and he makes the most of a well-constructed screenplay by Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises)

Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard bring elegant performances to an intelligent and stylish picture, which gradually reveals a profound emotional resonance under its outward restraint.

Allied shows Zemeckis hasn't lost his sense of humour. He may, however, have lost his groove.

Like an average cover version of a classic song, Zemeckis drama makes all the right noises for a 40s war-time thriller, but it doesnt have any of the heart

This is far from brilliant - though it is extremely watchable.