BY ROMEY NORTON FEBRUARY 1, 2024
From the legends Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover, with Amazon Studios, comes the spy comedy television series Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The series boasts an excellent ensemble cast which includes, Michaela Coel, Sarah Paulson, Parker Posey, Paul Dano, Sharon Horgan, Wagner Moura, John Turturro and Ron Perlman, who all steal their scenes and give compelling performances.
SYNOPSIS
Two strangers land jobs with a spy agency that offers them a life of espionage, wealth, and travel. The catch: new identities in an arranged marriage.
REVIEW
There are eight episodes, each with a runtime of roughly forty minutes to an hour, and they’re all well crafted in telling this thrilling romance espionage. It needs to be pointed out that this series is not trying to remake the popular 2005 film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and it stands out for its excellent acting, chic style and relatable characters.
The story surrounds two strangers who land jobs with a spy agency that offers them a life of espionage, wealth, and travel. The catch: new identities in an arranged marriage to one another - house and cat included. It’s a whole new life, full of risk and reward, which we see straight away as the two are nearly blown up in episode one.
Their cover story becomes even more complex when they catch real feelings for each other - what’s more dangerous, missions or feelings?
There is action from the start, as the series opens with a couple being hunted and killed. We’re then cleverly introduced to our two protagonists through a futuristic interview. It’s a simple but effective way of learning a lot about the two characters, quickly.
Glover and Sloane have excellent chemistry and make this series extremely easy to watch. They create a couple that you can recognize, either in your friends or in yourself (Apart from their job titles - unless you really do know any spies). They begin awkwardly getting to know one another, falling in love and navigating their relationship and complicated careers.
The story arc works well, and as the season progresses the stakes of the missions become greater. Their romantic drama builds, and they don’t shy away from the nitty-gritty parts of relationships. The eight episodes of Mr. & Mrs. Smith lead to a strong and compelling conclusion - which might take you by surprise.
In a world where dating is a struggle, this film opens up questions about building foundations for a relationship, such as trust. This TV show is tackling modern ideas of marriage and relationships, and makes you question, why do we get married? What’s the point? Do we just get into relationships because we’re lonely? Is it really about building a solid friendship and foundation first? Being a spy means to be sneaky, to hide things, to keep secrets. This is a great way to encapsulate the distrust current generations seem to have when it comes to relationships.
The filming style is very, chic and sexy, with a hint of darkness and danger, all which help build the tension in the romance and espionage. There are some stunning shots, especially when they travel to places such as the dolomites.
My main critiques will be that there are times the series can feel a little slow moving and dragged out - and I put this down to the dialogue and monotone accents. The show could have benefitted from a little more dark humour. There are a few instances of this and it made the scenes pop. Especially a conversation around if an ex-girlfriend had two hands or not. However, with likeable and relatable characters, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is sure to be a hit and might be a worthy award contender.
STAR RATING
