Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 10th December, 2010
Time : 103 minutes
Director, Co-Writer : Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck; Co-Writers : Christopher McQuarrie, Jullian Fellowes, (based on Jerome Salle’s ‘Anthony Zimmer’) ; Music : James Newton Howard
Starring : Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Timothy Dalton, Stephen Berkoff, Rufus Sewell
This one has a surprise ending that ruined it for me. The movie itself, while mildly interesting, somehow struggled to hold my attention completely. Blame to be laid at the lack of chemistry perhaps, between the lead pair, and a slightly stretched storyline.
Jolie is constantly under surveillance ever since she has been deserted by her lover. He had robbed a mafia type of a huge amount and the British government of a slightly smaller amount. Out of the blue he gets in touch with her again, instructing her secret agent style to take a certain train, at a certain time in order to meet him at a given location. Part of the instructions include finding a decoy on the train (Johnny Depp) who is similar to him in build and broad physical outline. Soon, Jolie is charmed by Depp’s small town sensibility but his life is now in danger as he is hunted by both the mafia and the Brits, convinced he is the real thief.
Depp doesn’t really suit this role. Stumbling, stuttering, fumbling, being unsure is not how you want to remember him or think of him. And because that’s how he’s portrayed, he doesn’t really pair up well with the statuesque, self-assured Jolie who is stunning as ever. You can get why he falls for her but not why she would even look at him twice. The locales are interesting, continental Europe at its most beautiful with a large part of the action happening in Venice (don’t think there are too many secret agent stories which don’t involve this city).
There is a forced feel to the film and then in the middle it struggles to hold your attention (especially in the romantic bits). Beautiful locales, beautiful people but not quite a beautiful story. Almost like a Hindi film.
PS : Cant believe this is the same director who made the brilliant ‘Lives of Others’
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