In this remake of the French thriller "Anthony Zimmer", Frank unexpectedly finds himself in a flirtatious encounter with Elise, an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path, during an impromptu trip to Europe to mend his broken heart. 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. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck first full-length film, "The Lives of Others", was well received by both critics and audience, but same can't be said for his latest espionage thriller "The Tourist", as it fails to deliver both, high entertainment value and money at the box office. "The Tourist" suffers from preposterous plot, inadequate direction and uneven pacing, and although it offers a passable entertainment, the film never lives up to its full potential. Moreover, the twist in the end is pretty ridiculous and almost ruins this otherwise passable cinematic experience. "The Tourist" relies mainly on its two leads and beautiful stars, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, and its stunning scenery, and these are the areas where the film succeeds mostly. Angelina Jolie is definitely the best thing about this movie. She not only looks breathtakingly exquisite as always, but she's absolutely seductive and thoroughly captivating as Elise - an unpredictable and mysterious woman, that looks tough on the outside, but is very sensitive on the inside. Well, her British accent is pretty terrible, but other than that she does a pretty good job. Johnny Depp, on the other hand, is quite disappointing. He gives a surprisingly flat and stiff performance as Frank, as he hardly conveys any real emotion, which is kinda shocking, since Depp is one of the most gifted actors in history of cinema. Throughout the whole time, he looks really bored, and like he doesn't want to be there, which affects his performance. The chemistry between Jolie and Depp is almost lacking, probably due to the fact that Johnny Depp had issues with his long-time girlfriend Vanessa Paradis, who wanted him to quit this film, because she didn't want him to shoot a steamy sex scenes with Jolie. Although that obviously didn't happen, Depp looks quite uncomfortable and wooden during the love scenes with Angelina. Paul Bettany typically good as Inspector Acheson, and he does his best with the material he's given, and Steven Berkoff beyond convincing as the intimidating gang boss, Reginald Shaw. Visually though, "The Tourist" never fails to fascinate the audience with its incredibly beautiful Italian scenery. Oscar-winning director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck captures beautifully the essence of Venice, providing us with some truly mesmerizing shots and splendid images. The action scenes, while few and far between, as well-shot and entertaining to watch. The boat chase deserves a special mention, as it's probably the most exciting part in the entire movie. Although it offers some gorgeous settings and a few moderately thrilling action sequences, "The Tourist" disappoints with a lackluster performance by Johnny Depp, incoherent pacing, and ludicrous ending.
