Just over a month ago I finally took the time to see the French film Anthony Zimmer in order to be able to correctly review and evaluate its remake The Tourist when it would be released in cinemas. Now after having seen the remake I am completely astonished at how unnecessarily harsh its reviews are turning at to be.
For starters everyone seems to be obsessed with its Golden Globe nomination under the Comedy/Musical genre. Sorry folks, there is no mistake about that. The film is definitely a thriller with heavy comedic tones. Johnny Depp spends the whole film with a perpetual clueless expression on his face that leads the viewer towards comedic feel against which Angelina Jolie's mysterious aura is intentionally contrasted. Those easily judging the actress' performance as robotic and one-note seem to have missed the entire point of her character's function. The story is actually a complete gender reversal of Charade which was also classified as a comedic thriller the last time I checked so anyone not objecting towards that film's classification should also keep their mouth shut when it comes to The Tourist.
Antony Zimmer on the other hand is a totally different affair. The French original absolutely has no comedic approach to its dense crime story. It takes place under the bright sun of the French Riviera and has its protagonist on the run from the mob barefoot on the streets of Cannes in heavy sweat. Compare that scene with its leisurely equivalent in the remake this time taking place on the rooftops of a foggy Venice which culminates with a slapstick scene and the differences in both films really stand out. The French film was also shot with many quirky angles and close ups of objects and faces, effectively underlining the main character's helpless situation whereas the remake is bathed in gloriously composed anamorphic vistas of the canals. Also Sophie Marceau's leading lady is presented as a heartless and manipulative opportunist mercilessly making use of an unsuspecting man she spots on a train. The woman in the remake on the other hand has a kinder spirit. The original ultimately comes off as a gritty crime thriller but this remake is a deliberate attempt at recreating the lightweight atmosphere of a 60s era comedy thriller a la Charade or Gambit. There were many times during the film where I felt like I was watching a homage at those films, from the pace of the movements of the actors and the placement of camera to the heavy eye shadow applied to Angelina Jolie's utterly beautiful face, effectively elevating her already mesmerizing physicality to an even higher level appeal of, say, a 60s era Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren or Claudia Cardinale.
At the end I must say that the the film is nowhere near the disaster it is presented as being. It is just a finely made and with two international stars, a beautifully and attractively cast adult entertainment. Of course it is no award fodder but don't we need this type of filmmaking every now and then to draw some breath among the flood of family entertainment hurled toward us at every opportunity by the Hollywood money machine? I for one am content with what I saw this evening.
For starters everyone seems to be obsessed with its Golden Globe nomination under the Comedy/Musical genre. Sorry folks, there is no mistake about that. The film is definitely a thriller with heavy comedic tones. Johnny Depp spends the whole film with a perpetual clueless expression on his face that leads the viewer towards comedic feel against which Angelina Jolie's mysterious aura is intentionally contrasted. Those easily judging the actress' performance as robotic and one-note seem to have missed the entire point of her character's function. The story is actually a complete gender reversal of Charade which was also classified as a comedic thriller the last time I checked so anyone not objecting towards that film's classification should also keep their mouth shut when it comes to The Tourist.
Antony Zimmer on the other hand is a totally different affair. The French original absolutely has no comedic approach to its dense crime story. It takes place under the bright sun of the French Riviera and has its protagonist on the run from the mob barefoot on the streets of Cannes in heavy sweat. Compare that scene with its leisurely equivalent in the remake this time taking place on the rooftops of a foggy Venice which culminates with a slapstick scene and the differences in both films really stand out. The French film was also shot with many quirky angles and close ups of objects and faces, effectively underlining the main character's helpless situation whereas the remake is bathed in gloriously composed anamorphic vistas of the canals. Also Sophie Marceau's leading lady is presented as a heartless and manipulative opportunist mercilessly making use of an unsuspecting man she spots on a train. The woman in the remake on the other hand has a kinder spirit. The original ultimately comes off as a gritty crime thriller but this remake is a deliberate attempt at recreating the lightweight atmosphere of a 60s era comedy thriller a la Charade or Gambit. There were many times during the film where I felt like I was watching a homage at those films, from the pace of the movements of the actors and the placement of camera to the heavy eye shadow applied to Angelina Jolie's utterly beautiful face, effectively elevating her already mesmerizing physicality to an even higher level appeal of, say, a 60s era Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren or Claudia Cardinale.
At the end I must say that the the film is nowhere near the disaster it is presented as being. It is just a finely made and with two international stars, a beautifully and attractively cast adult entertainment. Of course it is no award fodder but don't we need this type of filmmaking every now and then to draw some breath among the flood of family entertainment hurled toward us at every opportunity by the Hollywood money machine? I for one am content with what I saw this evening.