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Post by GreenEyesToo on Dec 11, 2010 20:17:26 GMT
I'm going to stop reading this thread now, or I'm going to get tempted to click on those spoiler tags!  (Good to see you back, Tip!  ) |
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Post by tipou on Dec 11, 2010 21:04:13 GMT
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Post by rai on Dec 11, 2010 21:13:20 GMT
This is the spoiler thread, so do I still have to put: SPOILER ALERT!!!  Anyway... I saw The Tourist this afternoon & thoroughly enjoyed it. I never read reviews and avoid as much hype as I can before I see a movie, so I don't care what they've said. It was pleasant fun, much like a Hitchcock movie. I definitely thought Rufus was Alexander & it couldn't possibly be Frank, so I was surprised at the end. Paul Bettany definitely had a fun time with his role & I've loved Timothy Dalton ever since my Auntie Stella took me to see Wuthering Heights many many years ago, so it was good to see him. Henckel von Donnersmarck will no doubt find it hard to duplicate The Lives of Others, which was brilliant, but I could see his hand in this movie. I would like to know the actor who played the Italian detective with the beard & beautiful blue eyes please.  Thank you Rai p.s. Roof was good ;D |
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Post by tipou on Dec 11, 2010 21:36:32 GMT
rai, i think you mean alessio boni, yes, i noticed him too. have a look if its the right guy www.imdb.com/name/nm0094526/ohmygod timothy dalton as heathcliff yess, that is a major moment in my life, i have to go through netflix to see if they have that movie ohmygod he was perfect, and i was in love with him for a while after that, and he is the cause of so many bad boys in my life. bad, bad timothy!!! |
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Post by rai on Dec 11, 2010 22:11:44 GMT
rai, i think you mean alessio boni, yes, i noticed him too.
have a look if its the right guy
www.imdb.com/name/nm0094526/Oh si si si! That's his molto bene self.  . Thanks Tip. Rai
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Post by rufluvr on Dec 11, 2010 22:18:16 GMT
Braved a bona-fide blizzard last night to see Rufus in the Tourist!
Glad I went--it is the type of movie that was great to see up on the big screen, because of Rufus up there large and lovely of course, but also the great views on Venice (and Paris too) As we already know, there was not nearly enough Rufus, but he looked particularly scrumptious and played what little he had right on.
Tipou hit so many of the highlights, and lowlights already. The bad music, which made the slow parts even more of a drag. The movie would have been so much more improved with some snappy reparte instead of the sappy dialogue the actors were given. A cool and simmering sexual tension is what they were aiming for between the two leads, but it was not achieved. The only sexual tension in the theater was me waiting for Rufus to come onscreen again.
Didn't care for Angelina and even Depp (!) so much in this movie, but like has been already mentioned, it was hard to distinguish how much was due to any lackluster acting or that the writing and direction were both so undistinctive it was impossible for them as actors to do anything more with it. One has to wonder if they just trusted in the Director of The Lives of Others to pull off his vision, and they didn't want to challenge the script/direction even if they had their doubts about the quality.
I was disappointed with what the director did with Jolie's character Elise. We can usually enjoy something special (humor? mystery?) in a female lead, especially if she's a bit of a femme fatale. But I got nothin'. The director may have been shooting for Jolie to come off as an exciting, sexy, cool cucumber, but she just came off as a soggy, tasteless, pickle. Though some of the trappings of class were there, the essence of it wasn't evoked at all in Elise's character. So the mesmerising awesomeness they were going for with all the fawning long shots of her just seemed silly, and worse yet, were just plain boring.
Angelina can be stunning, and I've seen her look that way before, but I thought in The Tourist she looked pale, waxy, too thin, with (in some scenes) bad makeup and dry fake-looking hair that resembles a Barbie dolls. She looked like a sickly mannequin And even Johnny Depps face looked rubbery at times--whoever they used to do the makeup did not do the best job.
The production crew did do a great job on locations though, with the awesome hotel room (formerly the Doge's they said), and a very cool interior of Paul Bettany's police dept) Loved the beautiful wooden boats.
Speaking of Paul Bettany, I thought he did an outstanding job, in that he breathed some real life into the film, he played the dedicated cop, but did not go overboard. The actor who played the Big crime boss was believably scary/creepy. He had great screen presence. He would make a wonderful Bond Villain (if he hasn't already). Wish there had been more life breathed into the film by the lead characters. Jolie's had no personality, and Depp seemed just wrong as a nerdy guy. Maybe his bad acting had a point to it. I'm pondering this.
Wish I could say I was pleasantly surprised by unexpected plot twists, but I wasn't. I'll just leave it at that.
Like has been previously stated, it wasn't the best of films, and it sure wasn't the worst either. It's sad they didn't make more out of the adequate premise, superior talent and luminous locations. Could have been so much better with a witty screenplay, inspired direction and an interesing tone. If they had achieved that, better acting from the two leads would surely have followed.
Though it is always nice to see Rufus up on the big screen, since his part is so small, I don't think by waiting for the dvd one would miss much.
Oh, and I'll end this with a real spoiler. That reportedly long and hot sex scene between Depp and Jolie that rumor had it Vanessa was so concerned about? Non-existent. In The Tourist movie anyway. So we are left to wonder, did Vanessa get her (alleged) wish? Or was the scene filmed and just not used because of the pathetic lack of chemistry between those two? Or was it only edited out for plotline reasons? I think including it would have actually added an interesting dimension (beyond for gratuitous sex) Hard to tell if it was part of the screenplay as there is no evidence of any hanky panky in the movie at all. Isn't that just sad for a romantic thriller?! I TOLD you it was a spoiler!
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Post by rueful on Dec 12, 2010 1:13:18 GMT
The only sexual tension in the theater was me waiting for Rufus to come onscreen again.  That cracked me up! Oh, and I'll end this with a real spoiler. That reportedly long and hot sex scene between Depp and Jolie that rumor had it Vanessa was so concerned about? Non-existent. I wonder if it had to do with them wanting to achieve a PG-13 rating here in the States. I would like to know the actor who played the Italian detective with the beard & beautiful blue eyes please. If nothing else, the casting director should win the Most Visually Pleasing Foreign Cops Award! Who knew that European police officers were so uniformly attractive?! |
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Post by judypatooty on Dec 12, 2010 2:47:51 GMT
Oh yes! I agree with Rai's description of the film as "pleasant fun!". If Rufus hadn't been involved, I would have told my friends that this was a movie I would wait to see on DVD but for US ... go see it in the theater and enjoy it for what it is. A frothy, flawed, gorgeous flick starring a couple of big names but featuring some excellent (too brief) glimpses of a really excellent (and sexy) green-eyed actor.  |
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Post by tipou on Dec 12, 2010 2:54:37 GMT
ruflovrL you are sooooo right about the make up, i should have made it into "advise to production company #3.". these make up artists must have worked in a mortuary before - and i accused the caterers!!! right about johnny too, he looked tired and puffed up. i agree too with your appreciation of Bettany's work in there, he was very good, but then again, i have never seen him being bad. whey you say you were not surprised by plots twists... do you mean you guessed the ending, or that you simply did not care? i am asking because of a funny scene at the movie theater, there was a couple in front of me, and by 2/3 of the movie, the girl simply did not care anymore. but the guy was very much into the action, and at the end, he asked her if she had "gotten it", because she was so indifferent about the ending. she said "look, i dont give a damn, lets get out of here!!!" but i just thought of something, obvious but funny, in a way. (really dont look if you have not seen the movie yet) rufus really has the title role... but he can't say it... mc guffin indeed! ruflovr and rueful: my opinion on the "spouses protest" is that it is jjust some publicity stunt. i can't see either brad pitt or vanessa paradis going crazy about their respective spouse's love scenes. all involved are experienced and professional actors. the production was a nightmare from the start, they say, with directors, writers and actors dropping off one after the other, so i believe this was some lame attempt to hype the movie. ruefulL YESSSS!!! i want to work for the Interpol!!! what good looking agents they have!!! |
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Post by judypatooty on Dec 12, 2010 3:03:16 GMT
LOL Tipou! You're completely right in your "spoiler."
And the bit about the makeup is spot on. I found myself looking at Angelina's giant lips and wondering about all of the various colors of lipstick they used. I only have two rather similar shades in my makeup drawer, but Angelina had an amazing range of shades.
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Post by tipou on Dec 12, 2010 3:12:25 GMT
I found myself looking at Angelina's giant lips and wondering about all of the various colors of lipstick they used. I only have two rather similar shades in my makeup drawer, but Angelina had an amazing range of shades. isn't it amazing??? when she is taken by the bad guys, she has one colour of lipstick to go with the spoiled hairdo, a very special "i am a prisoner and in danger now, my make up is fading" lipstick colour. its like her clothes, they just appear and change by themselves! and wasnt her hairdo perfect again on the boat in the final scene? i want this self-repairable styling! you walk through a storm, and when you walk into a room - SHAZZAMMM! - you look like a million bucks again. but seriously, wasnt her ballroom look fabulous!! with about 50 pounds more on her bones, she would have looked like a younger sophia loren!!! |
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Post by kygal on Dec 12, 2010 12:52:59 GMT
I also saw the Tourist last night. It was a thrill to see Rufus on the big screen, and my first time to do so. I liked his role in the movie but it was much to brief. Yes, the movie was about him! My head was hurting from eye strain...I did not want to blink and miss one of Roofs seconds in the film. I did like that he was not type-casted here as he usually is in Hollywood.
I am not a huge fan of AJ, eventhough she could be my twin (just kidding). I have seen her do better work. Whether directed or not, she was not impressive. My teenage son disagrees.
Eventhough I have the greatest desire to groom him everytime I see him, I like JD. Thought he had some funny lines. He is a local boy. I do prefer him playing a crazy off-the-wall type character.
We were entertained by the movie which is usually what I go to a movie for (or Rufus). Wasnt as bad as the critics say...I usually dont agree with them anyway. It wasnt the thriller I thought it would be. Did like the twist at the end. Bottom line....it was worth seeing that beautiful man on the BIG screen!
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Post by rueful on Dec 12, 2010 15:04:14 GMT
for US ... go see it in the theater and enjoy it for what it is. Excellent advice, Judy! Keeping this in mind, I don't think any Rooftopper would be sorry or disappointed when they see it. Eventhough I have the greatest desire to groom him everytime I see him, I like JD. LOL! That's exactly how I feel about JD. He always manages to look so unkempt, even in a tux. (This is a milder version of how I feel about Matthew McConaughey, who always looks like he needs a bath with some strong lye soap.) |
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Post by francesca on Dec 12, 2010 17:44:54 GMT
time: 107 mins
[Beautifully shot thriller that gains points for sheer star power but ultimately delivers very little in terms of action, adventure or romance.
What's it all about?
Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, The Tourist is a remake of Anthony Zimmer, a little-seen 2005 French thriller that went unreleased in the UK and US. Johnny Depp stars as maths teacher Frank Tupelo, an American tourist who meets a beautiful British woman (Angelina Jolie as Elise) on a train to Venice and soon finds himself targeted by a dogged Interpol agent (Paul Bettany), a vicious gangster (Steven Berkoff) and their various henchmen.
It transpires that Elise is acting under the orders of Alexander, her mysterious, fugitive ex-lover, who instructed her to board the train and pick someone of similar height and build in order to throw Interpol off the scent. However, as the pair zip around Venice dodging gun-toting goons and staying one step ahead of the cops, they find themselves unexpectedly falling for each other.
The Good
The obvious draw of the film is the tantalising star pairing of Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in what should have been an exciting, fun packed, old fashioned Charade-style thriller. Unfortunately, both leads deliver curiously subdued performances and there's zero chemistry between them, with the script neglecting to provide anything that might conceivably pass as romance.
The supporting cast is more successful: the permanently excellent Bettany delivers a performance that's much better than the film actually deserves and Berkoff can always be relied upon for a spot of mad-eyed villainy and scenery-chomping. The film is also beautifully shot, with cinematographer John Seale making the most of the gorgeous Venice locations and there's some stylish hair and make-up work to boot - at one point Jolie goes for the full-on Sofia Loren look and it's the most memorable bit of the film.
The Bad
The lacklustre lead performances are by no means the film's only problem: for one thing, it only has two action sequences (a rooftop chase and a boat chase) and both of them are distinctly underwhelming. Similarly, there's a surprising lack of charm or humour in the script, though Depp does get at least one very funny line. On top of that, the film is lumbered with a disappointing and ultimately irritating finale that's nowhere near as clever as it thinks it is.
Worth seeing?
Despite its star power, The Tourist is a disappointing, badly written thriller that fails to provide any actual thrills. ]
Above is a local review of the Tourist . Neverless I am dragging M(o)B to see it on Wed.
I have actually booked the tickets.
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Post by nell on Dec 12, 2010 19:11:59 GMT
I just got back from seeing this and actually rather enjoyed it. It did have one slow bit for me but I'm not sure if that's just because I was expecting it to be fast paced and it wasn't. Hubby commented on the slowest chase he had ever seen. He onserved they were probably adhering to the 4mph speed limit on the Grand Canal  Once I got settled back into the flow I got quite engrossed. I'm not a big AJ fan. I can only recall 1 AJ movie that I haven't hated, although obviously I don't go out of my way to see them all ;D But that said I thought she was mainly ok. She started out a bit stiff but improved a bit as the film went on. Except for the intensely annoying slow walk. Maybe it was sexy for the guys I don't know - it just annoyed me a tinsy wincy bit ! I enjoyed seeing JD playing something other that a weirdo - he does seem to have been a bit typecast in that respect. I thought he made a pretty good job of it. Sure he looked a bit puffy and not at his best but I think that was kind of the point. PB added another dimension too - he delivered again in a wry sly humourous way. And Rufus - yes he didn't get much screen time but he was totally captivating in every glimpse I saw (well that was the effect on me anyway). He looked rather tasty and used his eyes and his expression in his usual unfaltering way  I really could have created a few more minutes of screen time for him though if I was the writer. I loved the ending too. Hubby's comment was - I was expecting him to say "I was just waiting for some girl to come out of the toilets" (Ha bloody ha !) Another star of the show for me was Venice. I have a bit of a love affair with this place. It always gives me a lovely warm feeling (and no I hadn't wet myself - before anyone asks). The shots of Venice were beautiful. I felt a bit glum before I went in and it cheered me up no end. |
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