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The Tourist poster

CAST
JOHNNY DEPP
ANGELINA JOLIE
STEVEN BERKOFF
PAUL BETTANY
ALESSIO BONI
TIMOTHY DALTON
CHRISTIAN DE SICA
RUFUS SEWELL

BASED ON THE FILM ANTHONY ZIMMER WRITTEN BY
JEROME SALLE

SCREENPLAY BY
JULIAN FELLOWES
CHRISTOPHER McQUARRIE
FLORIAN HENCKEL VON DONNERSMARCK

PRODUCED BY
GARY BARBER
ROGER BIRNBAUM
JONATHAN GLICKMAN
TIM HEADINGTON
GRAHAM KING

DIRECTED BY
FLORIAN HENCKEL VON DONNERSMARCK

GENRE
CRIME
MYSTERY
ROMANCE
THRILLER

RATED
AUS: M
UK: 12A
USA: PG-13

RUNNING TIME
103 MIN

 

THE TOURIST (2010)

What should have been the romantic thriller of the year instead turns out to be one its biggest disappointments, as The Tourist fails to tap into the charisma of its star powered duo and falls flat in its recreation of the classic adventure model.

For an example of an all star team which looks great on paper yet fails to gel on screen, look no further.

Although featuring a hot shot director in Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck (The Lives of Others), award winning writers Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park) and Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects) on scripting duties, and bona fide mega stars Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie sharing the marquee, The Tourist is a mediocre affair posing as a fun time at the flicks.

The films opens interestingly enough on femme fatale Elise (Angelina Jolie), looking glamorous and under surveillance by a dogged Scotland Yard officer (Paul Bettany). Their mission is to find Alexander Pearce, a British fugitive wanted for an enormous financial crime which has both the law and the criminals he stole from (led by a solid Steven Berkoff) after his head.

As Pearce’s lover, Elise is their key. So she creates a distraction in the form of American tourist and unkempt math teacher Frank (Johnny Depp), who quickly becomes embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

A remake of 2005 French movie Anthony Zimmer, what we have here is essentially a mistaken identity caper trying to recreate the same vibe found in the romantic thrillers of the 1950s, especially those starring Cary Grant (To Catch a Thief, etc).

Unfortunately, Von Donnersmarck forgot to inject some fun into his film, opting for poker face seriousness as opposed to light hearted adventure.

Most troubling is the issue of chemistry between Depp and Jolie. To put it simply, there isn’t any. Separately they deliver adequate enough turns, Depp eternally cool with his goofball charm and confidant swagger, while Jolie does refined and beautiful unlike any other. Yet when combined there is not a spark between them.

This is not the first time a film packed with talent failed to the capture the magic of cinema past, with Steven Soderberg’s  2006 black and white war drama The Good German also lacking that certain magic.

Probably best to file this under “they don’t make them like they used to.”

**1/2
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