Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

The Tourist
2010
**
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Timothy Dalton, Steven Berkoff, Rufus Sewell

A vengeful gangster wants to capture Alexander Pearce, a former banker who robbed him clean. Scotland Yard wants the same man for his massive tax debts. The two parties follow Pearce’s lover to Venice, and hope that she leads them to him. If only they knew what he looks like after plastic surgery. Since the mobsters are ruthless and the detectives are incompetent, our sympathies lie with the thief, which immediately destroys any sense of jeopardy or suspension. The ensuing caper comedy is light, frothy and funny (particularly when Johnny Depp mixes Italian and Spanish) but hopelessly mechanical. The plot is a stupid and ridiculous sleight of hand which doesn’t include a believable moment; the final big twist is at once predictable and utterly nonsensical. Von Donnersmarck’s camera adores Angelina Jolie. Too bad it cannot create any sparks between her and Depp. This is a remake of a French film Anthony Zimmer.