Johnny Depp phones it in for ‘The Tourist’

By John Soltes

The Tourist is not as bad as Ricky Gervais joked about at the Golden Globes. But he’s not too far off.

The movie, starring Johnny Depp and the ravishing Angelina Jolie, has a definite been-there-done-that feel to it. There’s nothing new about the plot (or lack thereof) and the writing is largely serviceable. In lesser hands, the movie would be unwatchable. Under the helm of director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the movie is a passing aside, nothing more, nothing less.

The two glaring problems with the film are its far-too-simple (and fairly unbelievable) plot and Depp’s performance, which is pretty much phoned in. Thankfully, Jolie looks the part and acts the part to the best of her abilities. There are several times when we fall under the power of those gorgeous eyes and high cheekbones.

Depp plays Frank Tupelo, an American tourist traveling on a train to Venice, Italy through continental Europe. He’s minding his own business when he gets swept into an international manhunt for Elise Clifton-Ward (Jolie) and her fugitive husband, who embezzled millions of dollars. Elise sits next to Frank on the train and the two begin a cordial, flirtatious relationship. Officials with Scotland Yard, under the leadership of Inspector John Acheson (Paul Bettany, in another sub-par role for this great actor), track Elise’s actions and begin to think that Frank is, in fact, her fugitive husband.

To continue with the plot wouldn’t spoil anything, because the plot ends with that premise. The 103-minute film doesn’t have much a payofff, and the action is minimal. This is a simple movie of mistaken identity and international intrigue.

Venice is perhaps the best character in the film, and through the director’s skilled lens, the city of canals never looked more beautiful. But, unlike The Italian Job remake from a few years ago (a far superior film), The Tourist never uses Venice’s interesting topography to full effect. Instead, we are pulled along at a sluggish pace and asked to invest in a story we care little about.

If Depp tried a little bit harder and if the action was a little more cutthroat (Steven Berkoff plays the pan-Eastern-European villain like this were a comic-book movie), The Tourist could have been thrilling and a nice entry in the international spy genre, a la The Bourne Identity. Instead, we are left with a beautiful actress in search of a good movie and a co-star with a pulse.

The Tourist

2010

Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Written by von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie and Julian Fellowes

Starring Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell and Steven Berkoff

Running time: 103 minutes

Rated PG-13 for violence and brief strong language

Bubble score: 2 out of 4

Click here to purchase The Tourist on DVD.