The Tourist

Angelina Jolie stars as Elise Clifton-Ward, a mysterious woman under constant surveillance by various law enforcement agents--including Inspector John Acheson (Paul Bettany) and Chief Inspector Jones (Timothy Dalton) of Scotland Yard—while being pursued by ruthless Russian gangster Reginald Shaw (Steven Berkoff) and his henchmen. As it turns out, Elise is not the real target, but rather a man she adores--elusive thief Alexander Pierce. When Elise, sitting at her favorite Parisian café, receives a courier-delivered envelope from Pierce, she immediately takes off for the Gare du Nord, followed by a phalanx of “spies.” En route to Venice, Elise picks up a stranger--mild-mannered Wisconsin math teacher Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp)--because he's roughly the same height and build as Pierce. Dinner leads to a kiss, followed by complications, including Frank's staying in Elise's sumptuous hotel suite on the Grand Canal. Of course, both cops and crooks are convinced that gullible Frank is their secretive swindler, so the chase is on. With her glamorous gowns and jewels, Jolie is dazzling, but while Depp does his best to keep up, he's cast as an average guy, and there's just no chemistry between the pair. Based on the 2005 French film Anthony Zimmer, director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's The Tourist ultimately fizzles instead of sizzles. Very optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, a “Bringing Glamour Back” production featurette (9 min.), “A Gala Affair” scene-specific segment (7 min.), an outtake reel (2 min.), an alternate animated title sequence (2 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are an “Action in Venice” scene-specific segment (7 min.), behind-the-scenes “Canal Chats” (6 min.), a “Tourist Destination” location featurette (3 min.), and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger)