Movie: The Tourist

• Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
• Release Date: December 2010
• Writers: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
• Run Time: 103
• Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller

Tagline: It all started when he met a woman.

Review: Ignore the trailers and the critics. This isnt a thriller, and it never tries to be. It is, wholeheartedly, a comedy. Anyone who missed that must have been watching a different film, because its funny, in fact, its hysterical. But not because its so bad its good. No, its totally intentional. The lines are funny, the pauses are funny, the actors are funny. its like a younger, slightly subtler, Venetian version of Red. Whats not to like?

Were all used to seeing Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in dramatic roles, Finding Neverland, Public Enemies, The Changeling, A Mighty Heart, and its so easy to forget that they can be funny. But they are, both of them. Johnny shines, as he always does. Angelina Jolie looks glorious, and when she smiles, the screen lights up. They dont have chemistry, critics say. Oh yes, they do, I say. More importantly, they seem to be enjoying themselves.

Johnnys Frank is delightful, touching and slightly mysterious. He has endless room to play around, and makes Frank memorable, and lovely, as only Johnny can. Angelinas role is more limiting, but she still makes it fresh and, yes, deeply amusing, parodying both herself and the genre in general. Watching her saunter around on her high heels, one cant help but recall what James Bond used to be like. This isnt Wanted or Salt, she has far more to do here than look cryptic and shoot people, and she does it very well.

Add to that the utterly magnificent Paul Bettany, Timothy Dalton, a few stereotypically dim Russian gangsters, they speak actual Russian, for once, and their funniest lines arent subtitled, and Rufus Sewell, and theres no way you can go wrong.

Yes, theres a twist at the end, a twist that seemed to annoy most people. But does that take away from the film? No! It adds to it, because its just so obvious, and natural, that its all the funnier for it.

This isnt an intellectual film. Nor does it try to be. Its a romp, a fun romp with two beautiful, endlessly talented actors, set in a beautiful city, which is shot so beautifully that it becomes like a separate character. So who cares how intellectual it is? This is a film thats genuinely entertaining, from start to finish. And if its snowing where you are, youll certainly appreciate the sunshine. Give it a chance!