History Film / TheMexican

* ForWantOfANail: Sam angrily notes that if Jerry had been a better driver, he never would have ran a traffic light for years ago, crashed into Margolese's car, and gotten them indebted to the gangster. Margolese himself notes to Jerry that this chain of events led to his incarceration, to his learning about the pistol and becoming determined [[spoiler: to return it to its rightful owners]], and indirectly to the deaths of [[spoiler: his cellmate and his grandson, among others]].

After five years of running errands for Margolese, Jerry is almost out of his debt. He just has [[OneLastJob one job left]], a simple delivery. All he has to do is fly to Mexico and pick up a very special gun, the eponymous Mexican, then bring it to Margolese. Unfortunately for Jerry, [[ProductDeliveryOrdeal things are about to get complicated]]. The Mexican is a very valuable commodity, and Margolese isn't the only one who wants it. With multiple buyers hoping to secure the gun, Jerry finds himself on the run from everything. And Sam, eager to leave him behind, is taken as collateral by the notorious hitman Leroy (Creator/JamesGandolfini). Needless to say, HilarityEnsues.

** Frank tells Samantha and Winston that he's a postman whose business is pornography. Creator/JamesGandofini previously starred in ''8 MM'', where a private detective whom embarks on a dark and dangerous journey into the porn industry to solve the mystery behind footage from a snuff movie which a teenage girl is slain by a mysterious masked killer.

Jerry Welbach (Pitt) is a basically decent guy with pretty poor driving skills. Through inattention at the wheel, he manages to crash his car into that of Arnold Margolese, a notorious gangster. Margolese just happened to have a body in the trunk of his car, leading to his arrest when the cops came to investigate the accident. Now Jerry is in his employ, at least until Margolese leaves prison... and much to the annoyance of his girlfriend, Samantha (Roberts).

After five years of running errands for Margolese, Jerry is almost out of his debt. He just has one job left, a simple delivery. All he has to do is fly to Mexico and pick up a very special gun, the eponymous Mexican, then bring it to Margolese. Unfortunately for Jerry, [[ProductDeliveryOrdeal things are about to get complicated]]. The Mexican is a very valuable commodity, and Margolese isn't the only one who wants it. With multiple buyers hoping to secure the gun, Jerry finds himself on the run from everything. And Sam, eager to leave him behind, is taken as collateral by the notorious hitman Leroy (Creator/JamesGandolfini). Needless to say, HilarityEnsues.

After five years of running errands for Margolese, Jerry is almost out of his debt. He just has one job left, a simple delivery. All he has to do is fly to Mexico and pick up a very special gun, the eponymous Mexican, then bring it to Margolese. Unfortunately for Jerry, things are about to get complicated. The Mexican is a very valuable commodity, and Margolese isn't the only one who wants it. With multiple buyers hoping to secure the gun, Jerry finds himself on the run from everything. And Sam, eager to leave him behind, is taken as collateral by the notorious hitman Leroy (Creator/JamesGandolfini). Needless to say, HilarityEnsues.

* ForWantOfANail: Sam angrily notes that if Jerry had been a better driver, he never would have ran a traffic light for years ago, crashed into Margolese's car, and gotten them indebted to the gangster. Margolese himself notes to Jerry that this chain of events led to his incarceration, to his learning about the pistol and becomgin determined [[spoiler: to return it to its rightful owners]], and indirectly to the deaths of [[spoiler: his cellmate and his grandson, among others]].

* SuicideByCop: The directors commentary claims that [[spoiler: Winston's]] death had aspects of this as a result of CharacterDevelopment.

* MoodWhiplash: The movie constantly shifts between broad comedy and a whimsical score on Jerry's side of the story, and introspective conversations and shocking bursts on violence on Sam and Leroy's.

* StockholmSyndrome: If you took a clip of Sam and [[spoiler: Fake!]]Leroy, after the scene where Sam tries to escape from the bathroom window, you wouldn't think that she was being held hostage at all. Sam even encourages Leroy to pick up a guy at a diner and they travel with him. Without Sam ever mentioning the fact that she's being held for ransom for the Mexican.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Whether or not the titular gun is cursed. A lot of bad things happen to Jerry from the moment he gets a hold of it, and its backstory is plagued with people who died because it appears to be it will only work correctly if the user has ThePowerOfLove on his side. In the end, the gun (all of several hundred years old and never fired during that time) works perfectly and allows Sam to place a perfect kill shot on Bernie's chest when he threatens Jerry. [[spoiler: Even the implication that there was a ring lodged in the gun's barrel, it still comes off as this trope]].

** Frank tells Samantha and Winston that he's a postman whose business is pornography. Creator/JamesGandofini previously starred in ''Film/{{8MM}}'', where a private detective whom embarks on a dark and dangerous journey into the porn industry to solve the mystery behind footage from a snuff movie which a teenage girl is slain by a mysterious masked killer.

* TheCameo: [[spoiler: Creator/GeneHackman as Margolese.]]

* {{Flashback}}: We get several, as different people recount the origin of the Mexican

* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther - despite their constant bickering in each other's presence, Sam and Jerry get a couple of these moments towards the end of the film.

** Jerry thinks he's one, but he's really just crazy.

* BuryYourGays: [[spoiler: Frank,]] though it's worth noting that it was because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and not because of his sexuality.

* DrivesLikeCrazy: Jerry; it's what landed him into debt with Margolese in the first place.
** Also, at the end of the movie, Jerry purposefully crashes his car more than once, first to get the Mexican back and the second time just because Sam wouldn't stop talking.

** Margolese was a ruthlesss gangster in the past, but is trying to recover the pistol out of sentient, and too repay a debt, and some of Bernie's dialogue implies [[spoiler: that he's going to retire from the gangster lifestyle and shut down his organization]].

** In a deleted scene, after his CitizenshipMarriage [[spoiler: Ted]] is shown to have left the mob, and provides some genuine aide and advice to Jerry.

* HitmanWithAHeart: Also Leroy [[spoiler: well, the fake one, at least.]]
-->'''Sam (to Leroy):''' You know, you're very sensitive for a cold blooded killer.

* LimaSyndrome: [[spoiler: Fake]] Leroy and Sam are actually really affectionate the entire movie... [[spoiler: Right up until Jerry kills him.]]

* StraightGay: Considering he's played by [[Series/TheSopranos James Gandolfini]] and exhibits no mannerisms (apart from checking out one guy in a diner), Leroy qualifies.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: A relieved Jerry doesn't realize how much celebrating his victory over [[spoiler: Winston]] is hurting [[Sam]] due to how close they'd gotten.

After five years of running errands for Margolese, Jerry is almost out of his debt. He just has one job left, a simple delivery. All he has to do is fly to Mexico and pick up a very special gun, the eponymous Mexican, then bring it to Margolese. Unfortunately for Jerry, things are about to get complicated. The Mexican is a very valuable commodity, and Margolese isn't the only one who wants it. With multiple buyers hoping to secure the gun, Jerry finds himself on the run from everything. And Sam, eager to leave him behind, is taken as collateral by the notorious hitman Leroy. Needless to say, HilarityEnsues.