For the fine folks at Moving Pictures, I reviewed The Tourist.
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| Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s new film, “The Tourist,” his first since the 2006 Oscar winner “The Lives of Others,” stumbles and waffles between a farce of and an homage to the legendary Cary Grant-Alfred Hitchcock collaborations, all while accomplishing nothing particularly well nor memorable. |
| Quote: |
| Based on the 2005 French movie “Anthony Zimmer,” the screenplay by von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie (“Valkyrie”) and Julian Fellowes (“The Young Victoria”) squanders the considerable talents of the top-notch cast with an improbable story and uninspired, derivative action sequences. Furthermore, von Donnersmarck pads the meager tale with extended magnificent panoramas of Venice, seemingly commissioned by the city’s travel bureau. |
| Quote: |
| Jolie and Depp provide their usually excellent performances, but the interactions of the two attractive co-stars provide little sizzle. Bettany’s disappointing portrayal of an inept British detective conjures up memories of the bungling French police detective Jacques Clouseau, though of a more subdued and less-interesting variety. Timothy Dalton lends an air of class and sanity as Acheson’s boss. Aping the roles that made him famous — “Octopussy,” “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Rambo: First Blood Part II” — Berkoff brings his trademark intensity to most of his scenes. |
I must applaud the editors of Moving Pictures for publishing my very critical review of The Tourist even as they ran an interview with director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.