On paper, The Tourist had everything going for it. Namely two of
the world’s biggest movie stars together
(for the first time) in one of the world’s most beautiful
cities, Venice. Not surprisingly, The Tourist is beautiful to look
at but looks ain’t everything. And that’s where this
high profile, starry flick disappoints.
The shots of Venice are so dazzling that I wish I were there as
I watched the movie. But get past the scenic shots and you realize
that the action is timid and the film is sluggish. It’s not
that there is anything wrong in taking two gorgeous actors and throwing
them together in an exotic location without much of a story. Because
despite everything, you can’t take your eyes off these two.
But after a while, it gets redundant and the charm of these good-looking
actors isn’t enough to keep you glued to your seat.
The story begins with British woman Elise (Angelina Jolie) who is
under surveillance from Scotland Yard. A note from her mysterious
lover Alecander (who we learn has stolen million of dollars from
gangsters and has undergone plastic surgery to hide his identity)
guides her to take a certain train, select a passenger who resembles
him and convince the authorities that the passenger is him, Alexander.
Elise picks Frank Tupelo (Depp). An American math teacher from Wisconsin,
Elise sits across him and is convinced that he will follow her,
no questions asked. A visibly smitten Frank does just that. He goes
with the mysterious Elise to her hotel room, stays with her and
is just not concerned enough when Russian mobsters are shooting
at him, mistaking him for someone else. His identity crisis is a
direct result of Elise’s plan and yet he says it was worth
it, just after one kiss. It’s all too easy to believe. And
that’s just it. The whole film is a chase for the unknown
million-dollar-stealing Alexander and it’s a toss up as Frank
tries to convince others of his innocence.
One can’t deny the screen presence of Johnny Depp or
Angelina Jolie. They both have a commanding presence on the big
screen. But despite their charming persona, their collective presence
can’t take away the fact that the action sequences lack any
punch, the story drags on, from train station to the lake and back,
as we get the same answers from many different characters and thriller
that is anything but thrilling.
For Johnny Depp, this film was a return to something fairly normal.
His last couple of films have been larger than life. From Captain
Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series to Sweeney Todd
and Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, the roles have been diverse
and daringly different. And after such wonderfully weird films,
it was a nice change to see Johnny play a normal guy.
For Angelina Jolie, this film was the balancing act. Between dramatic
films like A Mighty Heart and The Changeling, and action capers
like Salt, Angelina Jolie returned to a lady-like role in this flick.
She’s neither jumping off buildings nor is she shooting people.
She simply moves from one place to another, playing mysterious to
the hilt. She does a good job but without much of a story, Angelina
is wasted as is Johnny.
Ultimately, this kind of casting could’ve lead to cinematic
magic. Unfortunately, The Tourist doesn’t work for most part.
If you were looking to travel and were unconvinced about Venice,
this is the film to watch. But if you’re looking for an exciting
thriller, this just isn’t it.
– Maheen
Sabeeh
*CINEMATIC SUICIDE
**FORGETTABLE
***WATCHABLE
****COLLECTIBLE
*****AWARD-WORTHY
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