The Tourist

Angelina Jolie. Johnny Depp. Venice. The first two are known around the globe for their incredible acting abilities, and the second is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, if not the entire world. Add a sprinkle of intrigue and a dab of romance and you've got the new thriller The Tourist. The film, rated PG-13 for violence and brief strong language, is currently still in theatres at the the time of this review.
Elise is exotic and mysterious, and turns heads everywhere she goes. Frank is a math teacher from Wisconsin who can't seem to figure out the difference between speaking Italian and Spanish. When the two end up sitting together on a train bound for Venice, Italy, sparks fly-or at least, Frank thinks they do. Suddenly, in the middle of his attempts to woo Elise, a gang of thugs show up, bent on his demise. He quickly learns that his new flame is caught up in a crazy conspiracy, and that she has tricked the police into believing that he is a well-known thief, Alexander Pierce, with whom she is in love. And unfortunately for Frank, everyone wants Pierce's head on a platter, including a notorious crime boss. Confused, the bewildered teacher doesn't know where he can turn: is Elise telling the truth? Can he possibly get the police to believe he's innocent? And where is the real Alexander Pierce? Frank must race against the clock to discover what's really going on...and time is running out.
The Tourist is a fun, fast paced film that leaves you on the edge of your seat. I literally ate an entire bucket of popcorn during the hour and forty-three minute running time, and it took me a while to scrub all of that fattening butter off my fingers. The movie throws you through several loops, and leaves you realizing you can't trust that everyone is who they say they are, or that they're playing for the same team as you. The plot and script were both witty and clever, leaving me with my mouth hanging open in shock in several instances.
As one would expect of two stars of such high caliber, the acting was spot on, and the rest of the ensamble cast was excellent as well.
Now, to my gripe: I really wasn't at all pleased with the ending. Maybe it's just me, but I felt that some characters who should have repented of their misdeeds got away clean, and certain people did things out of character. Yes, it was a shocker, but I wasn't entirely pleased.
As for content issues, The Tourist was a pleasant surprise. There were some instances of mild profanity (although in another review, the f-word was mentioned as being said, although I didn't hear it), and obviously some violence (we see a man strangled on screen, and a few other men shot in the back) but nothing surprising or messy, just the norm for a thriller. The movie is surprisingly tame in other respects, (it is mentioned that a wife slept with other men before marriage to her husband, and a character says a woman lived with a man for a year that she was not married to), and while a few things are mentioned, nothing inappropriate is shown on screen.
To sum up, The Tourist is a fun, action-packed movie, but I don't believe it is going to be a movie that is remembered long after this year is over. It's your typical thriller, and although I enjoyed it immensely, it's not much different from the next action film, or the next, or the next. So, I say see it, you'll probably like it and enjoy the fact that it's not ladden with as much content baggage as many movies are today, but don't expect to be blown away.