The Tourist

The Tourist
Year: 2010
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Cast: Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany, Timothy Dalton

In My Own Words The combination of Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie is a film makers dream. Two of the biggest movie stars on the planet and two of my personal favourite actors. Johnny Depp is just likable in every role he has been in the past few years. Even in "The Libertine" where one of his first lines is "You are not going to like me". He failed at that because I still found him likable. He's not afraid to take risks, I think he is more afraid of taking on a role people might consider "normal". He has been nominated for 3 Oscars, but has yet to take home one. I would love to see him win one, but what will it take? He's been nominated for"Pirates Of The Carribean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl", "Finding Neverland" and "Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street". All amazing roles completely out of the ordinary yet no golden statue. What does he have to do?!

Then there is Angelina. The actress who has show-stopping beauty, but is sometimes more popular for what she does off screen than on screen. Her past romances, kissing siblings and being known as a "home wrecker" in the tabloids overshadow how truly amazing she is an an actress. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards and took home the big one in 1999 for "Girl, Interrupted". I think she is brilliant, regardless of what she does in her private life. After all, what is true about her so-called private life that we read in the celebrity gossip magazines?

I've already established that Depp and Jolie are amazing actors, but do they work together? These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
Everything about "The Tourist" points towards a winning combination. It stars Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie who are two of the biggest movie stars in the world at the moment, has an Oscar winning director in Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and it's set in a beautiful city like Venice. It seems like nothing could go wrong, or could it? "The Tourist" was always going to do well at the box office no matter what happenned in the film. It is one of those films which some people are going to love and others are going to find ridiculous. "The Tourist" is an action thriller which borders on comedy. Unfortunately, the comedy aspect makes it hard to take the film seriously when you feel like you should be taking it seriously. Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp) is a maths teacher minding his own business on a train trip to Venice when a beautiful, mysterious English woman, Elise (Angelina Jolie) sits next to him. Little does he know, he is part of a plan of Elise's elusive love, Alexander Pearce to detour the authorities and make them think that Frank is actually him.

Set against the amazing backdrop of Venice, "The Tourist" seems to be a very confused film. It is not quite sure what it is. It could have been a serious film and it seems like that is what the film makers would have wanted, but with Johnny Depp involved it doesn't come across that way. Not to say that Johnny Depp can't do serious roles because he definately can, but his character of Frank is quite comedic. On the other hand, it is not as funny as it should be to qualify as a comedy. This confusion makes the film seem a bit messy, although it does play out perfectly and runs smoothly on the screen. Visually it is an amazing film to watch. Henckel von Donnersmarck has pieced the film together beautifully and the cinematography, editing and visuals are amazing. Scriptwise, it is a good story and completely unpredictable. Everytime you think you know what is going on, something will happen to change your thoughts. It is one of those films you will walk away from and the more you think about it, the more everything will start to make sense. However, it is the scrip that provides the comedy moments which creates the confusion of the film.

Both Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie are stars, there is no doubt about that. Johnny Depp is able to show so much emotion in just his facial expressions and in his eyes. He is able to make the audience feel great pity for him at the beginning of the film. The character of Frank feels much like the Inchabod Crane who Depp played in "Sleepy Hollow". Jolie shines on the screen, the camera just adores her. Depp and Jolie visually look good on the screen together, but there isn't a great deal of chemistry between the two. Maybe they were afraid of creating too much chemistry between the two in case that started creating rumours.

If you go into "The Tourist" thinking you will see a drama, you will be disappointed. If you think it is going to be a comedy, you will also be disappointed. If you think it is a psychological action film, you may not be so disappointed. If you think it is just going to be just a good piece of entertainment and something which is visually beautiful to watch, you will enjoy the film. Visually it is amazing and beautifully directed with beautiful people, but it is just confused about what it is and what it is trying achieve.
6/10

Creation

Creation
Year: 2009
Director: Jon Amiel
Cast: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Jeremy Northam, Toby Jones

In My Own Words
On the closing night of the Sydney Film Festival, I decided to see the Charles Darwin biopic, “Creation”. Perhaps the most thrilling part of seeing this film at this festival is that I got the pleasure of being at the same screening as screenwriter, John Collee. It was a great experience to listen to Collee speak and answer questions on the life of Charles Darwin, the research that went into writing the script and the making of the film. I think it is very easy to take for granted how much research goes into writing a script before the first words are even written, especially in a biopic such as “Creation”. The film was based on the book “Annie’s Box” by Randal Keynes, who is actually the great-great grandson of Charles Darwin himself. A great deal of the information in this book is correct, as Darwin was known for writing many a letter to his friends and family (as is shown in the movie) and he was a compulsive note-taker. Collee said of him “If he were around today, he would be an adamant blogger”. So Darwin would probably be one of the easier people to find information on for this reason, but nevertheless there is still much research to be completed before writing a biopic screenplay. I applaud any screenwriter for the amount of work they put in both before and during the writing of a screenplay.

I do believe that many Christians may be weary of watching this film because of the idea that Darwin’s theories are closely linked to atheism. However, there is not too much to be frightened of with this film. There are some references from other characters besides Darwin that he is in war with God and that his book would prove the church wrong, but this is not what the movie is about. It even suggests that Darwin himself may have had doubts, but was not entirely sure that his theory meant that God did not exist. It has been suggested by many people, including today by Collee, that Darwin’s book, “The Origin Of Species” was more a way of coming to terms with his anger towards God for taking his beloved daughter, Annie away from him. It does seem quite odd that if he was an atheist, why he would be buried in Westminster Abbey in London. Or was this just a goodwill gesture upon his death? Something to be pondered.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“Creation” may be about the writing of Charles Darwin’s infamous book, “The Origin Of Species”, but it is not about his evolution theories as per say. “Creation” focuses more on the relationship between Charles Darwin (Paul Bettany) and his wife, Emma (Jennifer Connelly)as they both come to grips with the death of their beloved 10-year old daughter, Annie (newcomer Martha West). Charles and Emma drift apart from each other as Emma turns to her Christian faith for comfort, while Charles stops going to church and becomes obsessed with his scientific theories of life on Earth and how it came to be. As Charles is continuously pressured by others to write his book for all those who agree with him, he feels like he is drifting further away from his wife, his children, himself and his deceased daughter.

“Creation” could have been a fantastic film, but it feels like it was just done the wrong way. The main criticism of the film is that it is far too jerky and it feels as though it does not even out until the last half an hour. It is the way in which the flashback scenes are incorporated with both the present and Darwin’s dream-like hallucinations that make the film seem far too erratic. The film would have worked far better if it was just carried through chronologically. Maybe director, Jon Amiel was trying to make the film slightly more surrealistic by piecing the film together this way, but it just seems far too jumpy and the audience is not able to take their time to enjoy a scene for what it is. However, as said before, it seems to smooth out towards the end, and the last 20 minutes are just magic. They are emotionally striking and filled with some extremely fine acting.

Attention must also be brought to the visuals of the film. There are many scenes which are truly beautiful and are stunning to watch. The period is very well represented in the costumes, visuals and the music. The script is very well written. The amount of research done is evident and well written into the film.

The acting is what makes the film work and is definitely its saving grace. Paul Bettany gives his career best in this film. Not only does he uncannily resemble a young Charles Darwin, but he gives a heartfelt performance as a husband and father struggling with both grief and his sanity. His performance will be a tough one to watch for many fathers. The real-life married couple of Bettany and Jennifer Connelly is, as it typically is, a winning choice. The chemistry is already there and shows up on the big screen in spectacular fashion. The acting from these two is great throughout the film, but, like the film, it gets better throughout the film. For one particular scene, Bettany should win an Oscar based purely on that.

“Creation” could have been a great film instead of just a good film. The jerkiness of the film is the huge downfall. A great film should be great the whole way through rather than waiting until the last quarter. However, it should be seen purely for Paul Bettany’s magic. The film takes an in-depth look at a grieving family and may strike a chord with many people who have been through a similar situation. “Creation” could have been a film about any grieving family, but is made more interesting by the family being the Darwins.
6.5/10