The Tourist (2010)

Directed by: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck | 103 minutes | drama, thriller | Actors: Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, Timothy Dalton, Ralf Moeller, Raoul Bova, Steven Berkoff, Christian De Sica, Igor Jijikine, Clément Sibony, Julien Baumgartner, Bruno Wolkowitch, François Vincentelli, Jean-Marie Lamour

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. A name with a hint of old money around it. And although he indeed descends from an old noble German lineage, we are not talking about a count or duke here, but about the director who, with his first feature film, the Stasi drama ‘Das Leben der Anderen’ (2006), attracted both critics and the film-loving audience managed to captivate. His debut even earned him the Oscar for best non-English language film. It is logical that Henckel von Donnersmarck was suddenly ‘hot’ in Hollywood. Stars lined up for him and for his first Hollywood production he managed to contract not the least: Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp.

‘The Tourist’ (2010) was supposed to be a star vehicle like those made in the 1950s, in the style of Wilder’s ‘Sabrina’ (1954) and Hitchcock’s ‘To Catch a Thief’ (1955). But Depp is no Cary Grant and Jolie is no where near Audrey Hepburn. The first Hollywood film by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is a major setback! ‘The Tourist’ is a romantic thriller with a touch of comedy. Jolie plays the mysterious British Elise Clifton-Ward, a traditional international woman of mystery, who travels by train from Paris to Venice at the behest of her husband Alexander Pearce. Pearce, who is on the run from creditors for knocking back £844 million, hasn’t been seen for two years and nobody – including Elise – knows what he looks like these days, after a few plastic surgery procedures. Pearce has asked Elise to hook up on the train with a random stranger who resembles him in physique and features. The ‘victim’ is American tourist Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp), a wimpy math teacher from Wisconsin (off all places…), who is overwhelmed by the attention he gets from the beautiful Elise. Scotland Yard (in the person of Paul Bettany) immediately turns up on Tupelo, who is thought to be Pearce. The Russian mafia, acting on behalf of the powerful Reginald Shaw (Steven Berkoff), who still receives money from Pearce, has the unsuspecting tourist in its sights. Against the background of the dreamy and fashionable Venice, Frank gets into a fight with them. It is remarkable how much talent is involved in ‘The Tourist’. In addition to the promising Henckel von Donnersmarck, screenwriters Christopher McQuarrie (Oscar winner for 1995’s ‘The Usual Suspects’) and Julian Fellowes (Oscar winner for ‘Gosford Park’ from 2000) are involved in the project. In addition to superstars Jolie and Depp, the cast features merely respected British actors such as Paul Bettany, Steven Berkoff, Timothy Dalton and Rufus Sewell. You would think that all the ingredients for a delicious caper, such as those made in the fifties, are present. Why ‘The Tourist’ misses the mark so completely is incomprehensible. The problem already starts with the scenario, which is based on the French spy thriller ‘Anthony Zimmer’ from 2005. An example that ‘The Tourist’ follows quite meticulously, because the own contribution is negligible, but that aside. What’s worse is that you can already see the punch line coming from far and wide. The tension is therefore quickly off, so that really only the romance remains.

But let there be barely a spark of chemistry between two of the most beautiful people in the world! Jolie has more time posing than dealing with Depp, because she looks especially beautiful in the most beautiful (and most expensive!) dresses. She strides down the stairs, lips pursed. Her (male) fans will undoubtedly love it, but the neutral spectator is mainly annoyed by her ice-cold air and stateliness. Depp comes off a little better, because his antics still make us smile here and there. But he also never manages to give his character any depth. The top actors in the supporting roles try to save the day, but in vain. The action scenes also differ somewhat from what you would expect from this cast. Fortunately, there are advantages, but they are not up for grabs. The photography is really beautiful and the editing is fine. ‘The Tourist’ is not really heavy on the stomach either: this is ‘bite-swallow-cinema’ of the highest order and that attracts enough audiences. Box office magnets Jolie and Depp will undoubtedly draw full houses, and the majority of viewers will be able to enjoy themselves with this light-hearted work. Beautiful people in a beautiful city, many people are satisfied with that. However, if you look beyond your nose, you will be especially disappointed. Disappointed that a project involving so many interesting figures can lead to such an empty shell. It remains a mystery why Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck settled for ‘The Tourist’. Hopefully his third film will live up to expectations.