This confused thriller-romance serves as a reminder that expensive ingredients do not necessarily make for a satisfying dish. Johnny Depp phones in his performance as Frank, a bemused American tourist unwittingly caught up in the schemes of mysterious action-woman Elise (Jolie, floundering as so often when asked to do more than look sexy). In his infamous Golden Globes speech, comedian Ricky Gervais said that in 2010 "it seemed like everything was in 3-D. Except the characters in The Tourist." He was being kind.
After much wistful sighing and preposterous plot twists, it emerges that Elise is a British spy on the trail of a renegade financier. He is wanted by Interpol (led by a wasted Paul Bettany) for robbing the British taxpayer, and also by an unscrupulous gangster (Steven Berkoff) whom he defrauded. As the handsome stars leap around various pieces of lavish scenery, the plot draws towards a conclusion that is at once nonsensical, predictable and unsatisfying. A couple of comic thrills and sumptuous cinematography from Oscar-winner John Seale do not make up for inconsistent tone, an unsatisfactory ending and a remarkable lack of chemistry between the leads.
