is married and has children and a seri- Julian Fellowes, and von Donnersmarck, ously intense religious life. After a quick whose film The Secret Lives of Others change of profession, Russell becomes earned a Best Foreign Film Oscar) obvi- VULCAN VIDEO involved in a subplot about tracking down ously strives for a Hitchcockian vibe of F O R EIG N. CULT . CLASSIC. his birth mother, but that goes nowhere romance and suspense. True, many twists fast. Next comes some early, testing-the- and turns occur. Nevertheless, The Tourist 112 WEST ELIZABETH STREET waters insurance fraud. Then Russell’s doesn’t generate much suspense or 20% OFF USED TV SHOWS FOR SALE life changes – or, rather, is revealed to intrigue. Von Donnersmarck’s direction is 2-FOR-1 FAMILY FRIENDLY DVD SALE be a sham – after he’s T-boned in an dull and flat. Opportunities for using the automobile accident while on the way camera as an instrument to create sus- home from an extramarital one-nighter pense are squandered continually, which 609 WEST 29TH STREET with a gay hookup. Declaring his newly allows viewers to dwell on the practical BUY 2 GET 1 FREE FAMILY FRIENDLY DVD SALE acquired lust for the good, gay life to the absurdities of the plot twists, further frit- attending EMTs and then breaking the tering away any sense of narrative tension. GIFT CERTIFICATES MAKE GREAT GIFTS news to his wife (Mann, fine and bubbly), A motorboat rescue and chase sequence Russell decamps to South Beach, where in the dark nighttime canals of Venice is he discovers, as that irksome narration especially frustrating, as it constitutes one reveals, “being gay is expensive.” Russell’s of the slowest, most underlighted, and far, far-beyond-his-means lifestyle quickly uninvolving action sequences ever put to attracts the unwanted attention of both film. Certainly Jolie and Depp are equally 732-2211 ext. 3 EXIT the local and Texas authorities, and voilà, matched in star wattage, but they prove an 3FTFBSDI#MWE4VJUFt"VTUJO THROUGH THE he’s Huntsville-bound. There he meets inert love match onscreen. No Cary Grant/ )XZBU#VSOFU3E BCPWF#MBDL&ZFE1FB GIFT SHOP the titular Phillip Morris (McGregor, oddly Grace Kelly magic here: The pair conveys Some discounts, coverages, payment plans, and features are not available in all states or in all GEICO companies. Government Employees Insurance Co. A FILM BY BANKSY cast), a shy, unassumingly gay boy-toy who squat as far as onscreen chemistry goes. GEICO General Insurance Co. GEICO Indemnity Co. GEICO Casualty Co. These companies are subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. GEICO insurance instantly falls for this charming man. The As Frank, Depp goes from befuddled mark is not available in MA. GEICO: Washington, DC 20076. © 2007 GEICO. The GEICO gecko image © GEICO 1999-2007 NOW ON DVD pair’s eventual release, further fascinat- to daring participant while delivering one ing fraudulent activities, and silly hijinks of the most lackluster performances of his ensue. What is this film about, and what career. For her part, Jolie is never required does it want to be? Damned if I know. to do much more than strut her luscious It’s far too broadly comic to be taken as stuff and show us why a thief might risk “JOLIE AND DEPP SIZZLE!!” a serious study of the inner workings $2 billion in order to have her back in his Mosé Persico, CTV, MONTREAL of a professional con man, and it never life. Without sizzle or thrills, The Tourist quite takes itself seriously enough to be becomes as sluggish and rank as the anything more than another over-the-top Venice waterways. – Marjorie Baumgarten Jim Carrey performance. It’s confused ★★ Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek, Alamo and confusing, by turns hilarious and off- Drafthouse Village, Barton Creek Square, CM putting. In short, it’s awfully hard to love Cedar Park, Hill Country Galleria, CM Round I Love You Phillip Morris. – Marc Savlov Rock, Southpark Meadows, Highland, Gateway, ★★■Arbor Gold Class, Lakeline, Metropolitan, Tinseltown North, Westgate LITTLE FOCKERS D: Paul Weitz; with Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Jessica Alba, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner, Laura Dern, Harvey Keitel. (PG-13, 98 min.) openings Not reviewed at press time. Will Greg Focker (Stiller) finally be proclaimed the & ratings new family patriarch by his dyspeptic father-in-law (De Niro)? It’s the third film outing for the Focker clan, and it remains The Fighter (R) to be seen if the jokes have yet worn thin. (Opens Wednesday.) – Marjorie Baumgarten How Do You Know (PG-13) Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek, Alamo Drafthouse South, Gold Class, Westgate I Love You Phillip Morris (R) Little Fockers (PG-13) “THRILLING THE TOURIST D: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck; with , , Paul Tron: Legacy (PG) ENTERTAINMENT!!” Bettany, Timothy Dalton, Steven Berkoff, Rufus Sewell. Mosé. Persico, CTV, MONTREAL (PG-13, 103 min.) True Grit (PG-13) Interpol wants to catch a thief, namely Alexander Pearce, who has stolen more Yogi Bear (PG) than $2 billion. For some reason, despite A FLORIAN HENCKEL VON DONNERSMARCK FILM all their technical gadgetry, these top cops have no idea what their suspect looks (((((As perfect as a movie like, so in order to pick up his scent, they can be spend two years earnestly watching his girlfriend, Elise (Jolie). Their efforts pay off (((( Slightly flawed, but GK FILMS AND COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH SPYGLASS ENTERTAINMENT A GK FILMS AND BIRNBAUM/BARBER PRODUCTION once she receives a note delivered by cou- excellent nonetheless ((( IN ASSOCIATION WITH STUDIOCANALJOHNNY DEPP ANGELINA JOLIE “THE TOURIST” TIMOTHY DALTON STEVEN BERKOFF RUFUS SEWELL rier instructing her to catch the next train Has its good points, CASTING MUSIC COSTUME to Venice and pick a man of Alexander’s and its bad points CHRISTIAN DE SICA BYSUSIE FIGGIS BYJAMES NEWTON HOWARD DESIGNERCOLLEEN ATWOOD EDITORSJOE HUTSHING, A.C.E. PATRICIA ROMMEL PRODUCTION DIRECTOR OF EXECUTIVE general height and build to serve as an (( Mediocre, but with one DESIGNERJON HUTMAN PHOTOGRAPHYJOHN SEALE, ASC, ACS PRODUCERSLLOYD PHILLIPS BAHMAN NARAGHI OLIVIER COURSON RON HALPERN unwitting decoy. And that stranger on a PRODUCED or two bright spots BYGRAHAM KING TIM HEADINGTON ROGER BIRNBAUM GARY BARBER JONATHAN GLICKMAN train? He turns out to be none other than SCREENPLAY DIRECTED Johnny Depp in the role of Frank Tupelo, ( Poor, without any BYFLORIAN HENCKEL VON DONNERSMARCK AND CHRISTOPHER MCQUARRIE AND JULIAN FELLOWES BYFLORIAN HENCKEL VON DONNERSMARCK a widowed math teacher from Wisconsin. saving graces This film (which was adapted from the La bomba little-seen French thriller Anthony Zimmer CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES and written by Christopher McQuarrie,

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