--- title: "The Tourist" year: 2010 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-tourist" fi1m_id: "the-tourist" imdb_id: "tt1243957" tmdb_id: 37710 wikidata_id: "Q629975" fi1m_score: 37 critics_score: 32 critics_reviews: 15 published: "2026-10-02T22:40:58.361725+00:00" updated: "2026-10-02T22:41:24.035748+00:00" region: "GR" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Tourist (2010) Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck · 1h 43m · ΓΓΤΕ 13 · Action, Thriller, Romance ## Identity The Tourist - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-tourist - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-tourist - **IMDb ID:** tt1243957 - **TMDB ID:** 37710 - **Wikidata ID:** Q629975 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1243957/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/37710, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q629975 **Fi1m score: 37** · Critics 32 from 15 reviews *In a sentence:* Two film stars on a Venice holiday, each too well brought up to mention that nothing is happening > Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s caper puts Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in Venice and cannot think of anything for them to do there. It is handsomely lit, decently supported and dull, and its two stars never once seem to be in the same film. ## Synopsis Venice. Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp) is the tourist of the title, and Elise Clifton-Ward (Angelina Jolie) is the woman he meets there; the tagline says it all started when he met a woman, and it did. She is not travelling unobserved. Inspector John Acheson (Paul Bettany), answering to Chief Inspector Jones (Timothy Dalton), is the policeman on her case, and Reginald Shaw (Steven Berkoff), with a man the credits call only The Englishman (Rufus Sewell), has an interest of his own. The Italian officers, Colonnello Lombardi (Christian De Sica) and Sergente Cerato (Alessio Boni) among them, soon have one too. Frank, who understands none of this, lets Elise lead him through the city, and finds that the people following her are now following him. ## Review Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s follow-up to [*The Lives of Others*](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others) (2006) is a caper in the old manner, and what it wants is plain from the first ten minutes: a glamorous woman, a bewildered man, a European city and a spy plot that is really an excuse for the three of them. Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp) is the tourist. Elise Clifton-Ward (Angelina Jolie) is the woman he meets. Inspector John Acheson (Paul Bettany) is the policeman, and Reginald Shaw (Steven Berkoff) is the other sort of trouble. The pieces are all there. The film then spends 103 minutes not connecting them, and it is dull in a way that expensive films seldom manage. The complaint most critics have made is about the leads, and they are right. Depp plays Frank as a soft, rumpled man who speaks slowly and seems faintly sedated. Jolie plays Elise as a woman who has been told to glide and has decided to do nothing else. Neither performance changes between the first scene and the last. Their early scenes together, which is where a film like this ought to catch, are two people reading lines at each other while John Seale’s camera admires each of them in turn. We kept waiting for one of them to be surprised by the other. It does not happen. Seale lights Venice in warm amber, canals at dusk, lamps on the water, and Jon Hutman’s interiors are the kind of tall, old rooms that half the audience will be pricing in their heads. Colleen Atwood dresses Jolie in a run of gowns, long gloves and small hats, and it is the costumes, more than the dialogue, that tell us who this woman is supposed to be. All of it is lovely to look at. We were admiring it and bored at the same time, which is an odd state to spend an evening in. The action is where the boredom turns to something warmer. Patricia Rommel and Joe Hutshing cut the chases cleanly enough that we always knew where everyone was, but von Donnersmarck stages them at the speed of a guided tour, and nobody looks to be in any danger. James Newton Howard’s score skips along underneath, insisting this is all great fun. During the longest of them we were embarrassed, for everybody, because the film plainly thought it was being funny, and we did not laugh, and nor did anyone near us. The supporting cast knows what kind of film it is in. Bettany’s Acheson is the only person on screen who seems to want something badly, and he plays the wanting as a grievance, which suits him. Timothy Dalton, as his superior Chief Inspector Jones, has little to do and does it with more relish than the stars manage all evening. Berkoff’s Shaw is a man in a good coat issuing threats, and he does it well. Rufus Sewell drifts through as The Englishman, and we found ourselves watching him in the background of shots because he at least seemed to be thinking. The screenplay is credited to Julian Fellowes, Christopher McQuarrie and von Donnersmarck, which is three writers for a plot that mostly consists of people explaining it to one another. The film saves its twist for the last minutes. We will not describe it, except to say that most viewers will have reached it an hour earlier, and that when it arrives it explains nothing and undoes the little that had been built. *The Lives of Others* was also a film about watching and being watched, and there the watching changed the watcher. Here nobody is changed by anything, and the spying is set dressing. If you want Venice at dusk and two famous faces to rest your eyes on, this will pass a Sunday evening without hurting anyone, and the 12A means there is nothing to flinch at. It opened in Britain on 10 December 2010, in time for the holidays, and it has the manners of a Christmas film: handsome, polite and asleep by nine. *Fi1m score 37, published 2 October 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics dismiss The Tourist as a glossy caper that never gets going. Thirteen of the fifteen reviews are negative, and the complaint is close to identical in each: Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie generate no spark together, and a romantic thriller cannot survive that. What praise there is goes to the surroundings rather than the stars. Venice is handsomely shot, the costumes are stylish, and the visual style is clean and expensive. Several reviews also find small pleasures in the supporting cast. The reviews part on Depp himself. Digital Spy credits his casual charm and one-liners with saving the film, and Collider likes both leads, while Slant finds him lifeless. The late twist draws fire from most who mention it, for being either obvious or left unexplained. The spread is narrow: the two mixed verdicts, from Screen Daily and Empire, find an almost-good romp that never catches fire, and nobody finds a good one. ## Straight answers **Is The Tourist worth watching?** *The Tourist* is not worth watching for anyone who wants a thriller with a pulse, and we scored it 37. Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie never seem to be in the same film, and the plot is mostly people explaining it to one another. If you want Venice at dusk and two famous faces to rest your eyes on, it will pass a Sunday evening without hurting anyone. **How long is The Tourist, and what is it rated?** *The Tourist* runs 1h 43m and is rated 13 by the ΓΓΤΕ in Greece. It is an action and thriller film. **Where can I watch The Tourist in Greece?** *The Tourist* is available to rent from Apple TV from €3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is The Tourist, and is it suitable for children?** *The Tourist* is a 12A and there is nothing in it to flinch at. The chases are staged at the speed of a guided tour and nobody looks to be in any danger, so children old enough to sit through a slow spy caper will not be frightened. Boredom, not fear, is the risk for most of the family. **How does The Tourist compare to The Talented Mr. Ripley?** *The Tourist* is the weaker film by some distance, and [*The Talented Mr. Ripley*](https://film.one/film/the-talented-mr-ripley) is the one to choose. Both offer Italy, borrowed identities and good hotels, but Anthony Minghella puts real menace underneath the linen, and Matt Damon's Tom Ripley has a neediness that is hard to watch. Von Donnersmarck's caper has the scenery and none of the danger. ### Reviews we read (15) - **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (64/100, inferred): The accessible page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is hidden behind the paywall. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the available text. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/the-tourist/5021407.article) - **Empire**, Kim Newman (55/100, inferred): Newman finds the film an almost-good, elegant romp that never quite catches fire. He praises its glamour and Rufus Sewell’s performance, while criticizing the lack of chemistry and excitement. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/tourist-review/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (2/5): Bradshaw finds the film a glossy but muddled caper, with its stars’ appeal undermined by the spy plot. He singles out Depp and Jolie’s unchanging performances and the film’s quick abandonment of its comic side for criticism. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/dec/09/the-tourist-review) - **Total Film**, Matt Mueller (2/5): Mueller finds the film a rushed, workmanlike caper that fails to live up to its romantic aspirations. He praises Venice’s lush visuals, while noting the supporting actors provide small pleasures. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-tourist-review/) - **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (1/4): Schager pans the film as an inert, incompetent thriller and a vehicle for Angelina Jolie’s vanity. He especially faults the lead actors’ lack of chemistry and Johnny Depp’s lifeless performance. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-tourist/) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (25/100, inferred): Dargis gives the film a negative verdict, finding it an unconvincing thriller. She singles out its lack of energy as a key weakness. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/movies/10tourist.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (20/100, inferred): Turan finds the thriller tedious and uninvolving, with plot twists that arrive too late to matter. He particularly faults the lack of chemistry between Depp and Jolie, while noting that the supporting cast brings some energy to the film. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-dec-10-la-et-tourist-20101210-story.html) - **Time Out**, Trevor Johnston (1/5): Johnston gives the film one star, signaling a strongly negative verdict. The visible blurb singles out its Oscar-winning director and screenwriters as an incongruous setup, but offers no fuller criticism. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-tourist-1) - **Variety**, Justin Chang (20/100, inferred): Chang finds the film a sumptuous but dull thriller with little romantic spark. He praises Venice’s beauty and the clean visual style, but says the stars’ glamour cannot make up for the lack of chemistry. [Read](https://variety.com/2010/film/reviews/the-tourist-1117944170/) - **Eye for Film**, Andrew Robertson (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the film entertaining but disappointing and muddled, falling short of its talent. The beautiful Venice locations and stylish costumes are singled out as its most appealing assets. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-tourist-film-review-by-andrew-robertson) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (D): Goldberg calls the film a charming but forgettable diversion, undone by a nonsensical twist. He praises Depp and Jolie’s performances, while criticizing the Venice-focused visuals and the ending’s failure to explain its revelations. [Read](https://collider.com/the-tourist-movie-review-angelina-jolie-johnny-depp/) - **Digital Spy**, Stella Papamichael (30/100, inferred): The review finds the film a watered-down, rickety caper that is too laidback to work as a thriller. It praises Depp’s casual charm and witty one-liners as its saving grace. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a292434/the-tourist/) - **Den of Geek**, Paul Martinovic (1/5): The critic finds the film a laughably bad, forgettable star vehicle with little chemistry between its leads. He particularly condemns the performances and calls the twist obvious and foolish. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-tourist-review/) - **The Playlist** (20/100, inferred): The headline indicates the critic found the film not worth the trip. The accessible page provides no further details about the review’s reasoning. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-the-tourist-is-not-worth-getting-out-your-passport-for-20101209/) - **HeyUGuys**, Adam Lowes (10/100, inferred): The review pans the film as a contrived, poorly crafted romantic thriller. It especially criticizes the implausible twist ending and the leads’ lack of chemistry and screen presence. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-tourist-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck - **Director:** Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck - **Screenplay:** Julian Fellowes, Christopher McQuarrie, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck - **Cinematography:** John Seale - **Editor:** Joe Hutshing, Patricia Rommel - **Music:** James Newton Howard - **Production design:** Jon Hutman - **Costume design:** Colleen Atwood - **Producer:** Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Jonathan Glickman - **Cast:** Johnny Depp as Frank Tupelo; Angelina Jolie as Elise Clifton-Ward; Paul Bettany as Inspector John Acheson; Timothy Dalton as Chief Inspector Jones; Steven Berkoff as Reginald Shaw; Rufus Sewell as The Englishman; Christian De Sica as Colonnello Lombardi; Alessio Boni as Sergente Cerato - **Runtime:** 1h 43m - **Certificate (ΓΓΤΕ):** 13 - **Release (Greece):** 13 January 2011 - **Genres:** Action, Thriller, Romance - **Also in:** [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Nominee, 2010) - **Budget:** $100 million - **Box office:** $279 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgNiFN_gttA ## Where to watch in Greece - Apple TV: rent €3.99, hd - Apple TV: buy €7.99, sd *Checked 2026-10-02.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RS, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Charade* (1963): The template: Paris, a widow, a stranger, and two stars who plainly like each other - *Anthony Zimmer* (2005): A French thriller of the same shape, leaner and colder, that knows what its twist is for - *To Catch a Thief* (1955): Hitchcock on the Riviera, proving glamour and tension can share a frame - *The Talented Mr. Ripley* (1999), Fi1m 80: Italy, borrowed identities and good hotels, with real menace underneath the linen — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-talented-mr-ripley.md) - *Duplicity* (2009): A con-artist romance where the leads talk fast and the plot earns its reveals --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-tourist