I actually, secretly, couldn’t wait for the film, The Tourist, to come out, even though I am not a fan of Angelina Jolie or Johnny Depp. I just had a good feeling about the film and was determined to see it, no matter what. I must say I was pleased with the results and felt the film was most entertaining. It has a slow pace and not at all as charming as one anticipated it to be, but overall it did a great job of keeping me focused and engaged.
The story is, as most people could guess from the trailer, about an American tourist named Frank (Johnny Depp) who, while traveling to Venice on a train, runs into a mysterious woman named Elise (Angelina Jolie). After spending a strange night with Elise in her hotel room, he realizes he is wanted by the British police and the Russian/British mob for different reasons. While he tries to make sense of it all, he finds himself falling madly in love with Elise. As the story unfolds and the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit perfectly into place, the audience makes a shocking discovery, to say the least…
Now, there are several factors to keep in mind, which make this film worth while. The scenery and film location is of course breathtaking. The technique of combining old world classics with 21st century resources, which director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck used to film the movie, is most refreshing and somewhat reminiscent of an Agatha Christie mystery film. Finally, the humorous approach to telling a story, which at the end of the day is a love story, in a weird kind of way.
I highly recommend the movie and suggest that you see it for what it’s worth. Don’t compare it to the current 3D craze in film making or the action packet films which have no true meaning in the end, just see it and with an open mind enjoy it for what it is.
B-lot buzz 