BRAD PITT and JULIA ROBERTS' first film together, THE MEXICAN, is failing to wow Hollywood's critics - because they're not together on screen long enough.

Some reviewers are charging director GORE VERBINSKI and producers of signing up two Hollywood heavyweights and expecting their names alone to make the film a big hit. But LA TIMES' KENNETH TURAN, USA TODAY's MIKE CLARKE and revered NBC critic JOEL SIEGEL insist the movie goes nowhere once the opening scenes featuring Pitt and Roberts together are over.

Siegel says, "It's a No Way Jose movie. There are four stories in one and none of them work." While Clarke maintains, "It's tough to believe anyone could read this script and fail to realise the movie wouldn't end up going anywhere." "If Julia Roberts ever gets a lifetime achievement, this may be one movie the show's producers choose to leave out of the retrospective clip show. The Mexican goes south of boredom."

Times critic Turan writes, "Roberts and Pitt look happy to be working together so much you really don't want to point out that they're often trying too hard and they spend much less time sharing the screen that the film's campaign might lead you to expect. It all wears thin awfully fast." The movie is released in America today (02MAR01). (KL/U&LAT/MCM)

Source: WENN