What was the last Johnny Depp movie that got you really excited? Or Angelina Jolie for that matter? With Ol’ John there’s a glimmer of hope coming in the form of the Hunter S. Thompson adaptation The Rum Diary. Certainly Depp recalling his Gonzo in any way is good news for us. Other than that, it’s just a new trio of Pirates movies, yet another Tim Burton thing, and rumors regarding Kathryn Bigelow’s next flick. Things are even bleaker for Angie, with a reprisal of her Kung Fu Panda Tigress on the horizon, and little else. My point here isn’t so much to rip into these actors’ future endeavors as it is to call attention to the strange turn their careers have taken. Towards the beginning of their respective careers, Deep and Jolie both built their legacies on talent. They may have started out as beautiful faces, but with roles in films like Gia and Girl, Interrupted, Edward Scissorhands and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? they cemented respect from a critical audience. And now it’s come to this. The Tourist. Boringly predictable and occasionally incoherent, The Tourist gives Jolie and Depp the opportunity to spend some time in Venice, dress in overly elegant clothes, and be some mildly different version of their publicly banal selves.
Peter Wertz
Wertz of Wisdom 