I imagine most of America would buy a ticket to see Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie run around Europe in cool clothes while reading street signs out loud. But not only does The Tourist feature the two mega-stars in a beautiful setting, it also adds guns, romance, intrigue, some very funny dialogue, and Johnny Depp in his pajamas. My natural inclination when movies look this irresistible and universally appealing is to resist. If it's too good to be true it probably is! But preliminary research suggests that resistance is actually impossible.
Turns out Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the German director who made the excellent The Lives of Others directed this one, which actually just makes it sound even more promising. As for the script, screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie brought us the The Usual Suspects, and von Donnersmark collaborates with him here. The fact that McQuarrie also wrote Way of the Gun and Valkyrie does not even begin to make a dent in the movie's power. Oh, and the always under-appreciated Timothy Dalton also has a supporting role. I give up.
Verdict: You win, Hollywood. Sold.
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