7 Supposedly Bad Films That Deserve A Second Chance

The Tourist

The Tourist is now a byword for the nadir of Johnny Depp’s career, but how bad is it really? It has a good cast (Depp, Angelina Jolie, and Paul Bettany, to name a few), lovely locations, and a plot which, while it does not hold up to close scrutiny, is as enjoyable as most espionage stories.

Depp is the tourist of the title, an American mathematics professor chosen to be the mark of Jolie’s con artist. She’s the lover of a dangerous con man named Alexander Pearce, traveling through Italy on Pearce’s instructions. She picks up Depp’s character Frank in an effort to make the police inspector (Bettany) believe that he’s Pearce. Things gets more complicated from there, as Frank proves to be more competent than he initially appears.

The Tourist was panned on its release and subsequently became the butt of several jokes when it wound up nominated for a few Golden Globes. But it’s not a bad film: it’s predictable, but then again, so are most James Bond features. On a second viewing, both Depp and Jolie appear to be having a good time, giving convincing performances of an unconvincing script. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon, really.