Opening Day: 30 December 2010

Synopsis: Johnny Depp stars as an American tourist whose playful dalliance with a stranger leads to a web of intrigue, romance and danger in "The Tourist". During an impromptu trip to Europe to mend a broken heart, Frank (Depp) unexpectedly finds himself in a flirtatious encounter with Elise (Angelina Jolie), an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Against the breathtaking backdrop of Paris and Venice, their whirlwind romance quickly evolves as they find themselves unwittingly thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Movie Review:

If you are the sort to proactively do online research on future flicks, then you’d probably already found out by know that "The Tourist" does not quite sit well with most film critics. Well this *ehem* movie reviewer here, can unfortunately confirm that they are not inaccurate to react so, considering that the movie is one whole underwhelming tour ride. Now the question is; how in the world can anything featuring the sexy Angelina Jolie or the sexy Johnny Depp, both unfairly beautiful and have generally made wise movie choices to showcase their more than mediocre thespian chops, be underwhelming, especially when they are acting side by side? Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you see it), that’s not a tough question to answer.

Cue storyline. On a train ride to Venice, Frank (Depp), an American tourist, meets a mysterious and alluring European woman named Elise (Jolie), only to find himself caught in a cat and mouse game with both the police and the mob. Sure, the plot sounds intriguing albeit it is laced with predictable modern mystery novel clichés (Russian-speaking hitmen, rooftop chases, exotic locales, plot twists and so on), but its flat and almost lazy delivery is what does itself in. It seems that the people behind the screen wrongly predicted a smooth ride for the movie while sitting on the chemistry coattails of its two big leads.

"The Tourist" easily guns down quite a few expectations that the audience might have upon reading the synopsis.

Firstly, the interaction between Frank and Elise is pretty much a let down. Conversations between the two feel unnecessarily stretched out because they sorely lack the level of charm and intensity that is expected out of two good-looking strangers meeting under unexpected circumstances. And, if either of the two actors were to be blamed for this other than the writers, Depp would probably be it. (Yes, it did hurt to say that.) Jolie’s character was spot on because seriously, can you imagine any other Hollywood actress that can pull off mysterious and alluring European woman like she does. But Depp slightly struggles pulling off the passive yet charming Math teacher character, leaving Elise’s attraction towards him to be sudden and unrealistic.

Secondly, there’s also the jarring absence of modern slickness that one is used to seeing in movies featuring sexy people running away from the law. Granted, it’s not "Mr and Mrs Smith", but the intended and unintended clumsiness of the police and the mobsters just make the whole running away from the law and the bad guys thing kind of lame.

The crazy twist at the end does make you sit up if only for a short while before you fall back into a hunch wondering if all the drama in the first three quarter of the movie was even necessary in the first place.

Honest to say, this is probably one of those freak moments in Hollywood history (Ben and Jen’s Gigli anyone?) where style and star power cannot quite mask a lack of substance– like the dresses Angie wore on the movie that ended up wearing her. No doubt she looked gorgeous, but it seems like she could really use a good cheeseburger here, and make that a double. But don’t worry ladies, Captain Jack Sparrow still looks good as always.

Movie Rating:



(Skip this if you know that you won’t enjoy a 100-minute long tour of Jolie’s trademark bee-stung lips)

Reviewed by Siti Nursyafiqa