Bush-Era police state porn. Brangelina find out they are rival spies, become targets of each other's spy agencies, stick together, kill tons of people and get their jobs back.
Now as Gen X rom-com its fairly strong at addressing domestic tensions and blowing off steam with cute one-liners from its 2 relatable stars, but its also very troubling ideologically. Neither spy is identified as working for the government, but its obvious that they represent left and right wings of the CIA. The entire film is a "How To" on mixed-party marriage. So obviously its lens is a centrist neoliberal take thats not pro-Bush but not anti-Bush either. The film is pro-torture, pro-assassination, pro-unaccountable privatized government agencies and . I mean, its playing off the public's preconceptions anyway but it doesn't have to normalize and idolize the bloodthirsty, authoritarian security policies of America. This is freshly post-9/11, so there its forgivable.
Whats less forgivable is the toxic treatment of its protagonists. Jolie plays the uber female spy. She's impulsive, always right, seductive, impossibly strong and tough and abuses power constantly. Its weird how neolib Hollywood is so supportive of sociopathic traits in women as cute or warranted. Pitt of course is the meat headed, somewhat crass but endlessly redeeming and "perfect" Aryan macho Ken doll. He's only inferior to his woman when he chooses. I wonder if this was inspired by The Clintons.
I really disliked this era of Hollywood and its aged so quickly and revealed itself as heavy Deep State propaganda. Its not as harsh or browbeating as recent Hollywood, but its still faux-progressive, materialistic, amoral and empty outside of its glitz and escapism.
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