Stunning stars make The Tourist worth watching
If Madonna thought Rita Hayworth “gave good face”, I can only imagine her reaction to Angelina Jolie in The Tourist. Like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, this film takes two really, really, ridiculously good looking people, Jolie and Johnny Depp, and pairs them in an sometimes romantic, sometimes comedic espionage thriller.
Jolie is Elise, a mysterious British woman who is in love with an international thief named Alexander Pearce. International police and even gangsters who are looking for clues as to Alexander’s whereabouts are monitoring Elise. In an effort to deceive all those following her, she sets up American math teacher Frank Tupelo (Depp), making everyone believe he is Alexander. Soon she starts to feel guilty for throwing an innocent man into the fray and begins to have feelings for Frank—natch! The two fall in love as the mystery of Alexander Pearce starts to unravel.
First, let’s tackle the elephant in the room: the film’s stars are among the most beautiful people of all time. The crowd in my theater actually gasped and applauded Jolie’s stunning face during her first close up. Even Don Juan DeMarco himself is out-hotted by the sultry actress. Like with Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the filmmakers are well aware that we’ll watch really gorgeous people do anything, so they keep the close-ups coming and keep Jolie in stunning outfits that highlight her thin and graceful shape.
This film could seem like another predictable spy caper were it not for Depp. Where Jolie brings sexy, vampy, femme fatale, he brings comedic charm that keeps the film from becoming too generic. When Elise first sees Frank and flirts with him on a train, his surprised reaction and attempt at flirtation draw laughs as he humorously bumbles his way through their first conversation. Depp’s nerdy math teacher is a good contrast to Jolie’s sensual spy and he is able to bring a lot more witty moments than the more action-centric Mr. & Mrs. Smith could achieve.
The film is worth seeing because of its stars. If it starred Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron, who were both attached to the project at one point or another, it would be just another Hollywood espionage movie, but its outrageously good looking leads make it a bit more fun. Depp is one of the most reliable actors around, turning out consistently good performances in everything from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and, while Jolie plays her usual mysterious vamp, her interaction with Depp elevates her performance.
I’m sure my opinion is totally biased because I absolutely love these two, but I’d recommend checking The Tourist out.
