Review of film: "THE TOURIST" (with Jolie & Depp in a chase thriller)

Review of film “THE TOURIST”

In 2005, a French movie named “ANTHONY ZIMMER” was released.  Some of the basic plot ideas in that film (directed by Jérôme Salle) have been utilized in a new American REMAKE called“THE TOURIST”…

…  As the new film starts, law enforcement men in Paris are monitoring the movements of a strikingly beautiful woman named Elise Clifton-Ward (ANGELINA JOLIE).  It soon becomes clear that this is an international effort, because they report to a British agent in London named Acheson (PAUL BETTANY), who instructs them on just what he wants done regarding her…  One of Paul’s bosses is named Jones (TIMOTHY DALTON), a man who leads a “shadowy” existence…

…  When a mysterious note is delivered to Angelina at a restaurant, a lot of police actions are initiated.  We learn that she’s being followed not only by the law enforcement agencies, but by a bunch of vicious THUGS under the command of Ivan Demidov (a/k/a a name like “Shaw”, played by STEVEN BERKOFF)… 

…  Even more important, none of them really want HER--  they want her to lead them to a MAN she used to be romantically involved with, since he’d been involved in some high-stakes monetary machinations… 

…  Angelina works to follow the instructions in the note she got, & purposely picks out someone to associate with who looks a bit like her EX-LOVER, so as to “throw-off” the groups she knows are following her.  The guy she chooses is a scruffy, bearded math teacher named Frank Tupelo (JOHNNY DEPP), who’s overwhelmed but pleased at her apparent “interest” in him…

…  All this leads up to an increasingly frenetic series of CHASE scenes (on land & on the canals of Venice), deceptions, murder attempts, and a fascinating bunch of TWISTS & TURNS of plot & characters…     

…  WHY are the police & thugs so interested in Angelina’s ex-lover?...  Is she an unusually adept “innocent”, or has she had some TRAINING in the planning & escape techniques she keeps utilizing?... 

…  Why does she continue having contact with JOHNNY, when the police have clearly come to the conclusion she’s misled them & that he’s NOT the ex-lover they wanted her to lead them to?...  Why does Johnny keep going out of his way to COOPERATE with Angelina, when his life keeps being put in DANGER?...  Is the “chemistry” there REAL?...

…  Will Angelina lead them to the real EX-LOVER?...  Is it the ex-lover -- or something he HAS -- that the police & Ivan really want?... Will the THUGS “get” to Angelina or Johnny?...  Will the COPS get to them?...  What’s going to happen “BETWEEN” all the characters?!...

…  There’s a lot of questions that will be ANSWERED in this quick-moving, fascinating thriller…  It’s classy, CLEVER in its plot twists & ideas, well paced & very WELL-ACTED between the main characters… 

…  The movie is not “ground-breaking” in any way, & you could “belittle” it on some points of logic like how a [693-mile] train ride from Paris to Venice could ever be concluded over the length of a “dinner” meal… 

…  But, because of the overall EFFECTIVENESS of the film, I’m rating it as a “FUN” ride of 8.75 out of 10 stars…