Tuesday 11 January 2022

The Tourist (2022 Written by Harry & Jack Williams)

They wrote The Missing and its sequel Baptiste, and the rather less successful Liar and Angela Black (both with Joanne Froggatt). Maybe they had the involvement of a director who steered the plot? But it had two directors, Chris Sweeney (Back to Life, Liar) and Daniel Nettheim (some LODs). Q was getting flashes of Fargo which made me think of No Country For Old Men (killer stalking a desert countryside), Coens / TV Fargo definitely, but either way, it's still got the Killing Eve vibe - from the titles, through the ironic use of music and the black comedy - a most influential show.

This seems to work well as Probationary Constable Danielle Macdonald (Dumplin' and Unbelievable, good again) is the only one trying to help amnesiac Jamie Dornan after a horrific crash. Then he meets Shalom Brune-Franklin and the plot thickens. Good stuff about the cop's relationship with her most unsympathetic husband, diet etc. Liked the chess playing helicopter pilots, and the guy in the shop who gets excited about the amnesiac's plight.

On the helicopter:
"She handles like shit. How old is this thing?"
"A lady never tells."

And particularly loved the line "Beware the fury of a patient man."

Are we going to see any of these roos at night they keep going on about? Yes! I wasn't sure about the ending. I think I would have preferred it without the horrible revelation about his past. I don't think we needed that - it sounds the wrong note. It's the only complaint.

Olafur Darri Olafsson is the hunter, Alex Dimitriades (The Slap). Six parter for BBC.





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