“HITCHCOCKIAN CAT AND MOUSE CAPER”
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany and Timothy Dalton
Directed by: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
MPAA Rated: PG-13 for Violence and brief strong language
Genre: Suspense, Drama, Thriller and Remake
Running Time: 1hr 43min
Release Date: December 10, 2010
Distributed by: Sony Pictures
By John Delia
Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp team up in this suspense thriller that plays out well and even fooling me right up to the very end. I liked the dialogue, direction and cinematography as well. The Tourist is like a classic Alfred Hitchcock script with all the twists and turns that made his movies great. If you like a film where you have to figure out each bend and curve, then rush to see The Tourist.
The film centers on Elise (Jolie), a suspected accomplice to the mysterious Alexander Pearce an international thief who has absconded with the treasure trove of the mobs money. The financial police are on her trail hoping she will lead them to Pearce. In an attempt to get them off her tail, Elise encounters Frank (Depp) on the train she is taking to Venice and starts up a romantic interlude as a facade.
Jolie and Depp make a good pair as the ever-evolving plot goes on. The only distraction in the film is trying not to get more involved in the actors than their characters. It’s not easy to do as Director von Donnersmarck keeps his camera showing all of Jolie’s better angles straying away from the plot at times. Hitchcock did this in North by Northwest with Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint so his characters would dominate the film leaving the plot to take it’s own course and trapping the audience before they knew it. Although von Donnersmarck does succeed here, it is a very chancy gamble, as today’s audiences want a lot of action and not just shots of Jolie’s derrière.
The film has some awesome cinematography of Venice and it’s intriguing canals that become a roadway in this film. Much like North By Northwest close ups of Depp and Jolie on the run take up a lot of the screen as the plot thickens and their characters become entwined.
The film is rated PG-13 for Violence and brief strong language. Get a good seat and get comfortable, try not to out guess the writer or you’ll find yourself changing sides. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
FINAL ANALYSIS:Â A nicely laid plot with stars that shine. (4 of 5)