sanddragon939 I'd seen 'The Tourist' when it first came out over a year ago. The Angelina Jolie-Johnny Depp starrer was an entertaining film...one of the things which prevented it from being great though, was that it could never make up its mind as to whether it was a suspense thriller, an action thriller or a comedy. But I'm pleased to say that the French original 'Anthony Zimmer' has no such identity crisis.The plot of 'Zimmer' is very simple and in retrospect I can't but help feel that 'The Tourist' sometimes needlessly embellished (and in the process, complicated) the story. The simple premise allows for more focus on the characters, their motivations and their relationships. Another thing that stuck me while watching this film, in contrast to 'The Tourist' was that on the whole, it was a much more 'intelligent' film...things weren't always explained to the audiences word for word. Some things the viewer needs to put together himself while watching the film. Case in point, Chiara's (Sophie Marceau) motivation in befriending Francoise Tallandier (Yven Attal) as part of her scheme to fool Anthony Zimmer's pursuers is something which one has to assume based on the action on-screen and other subtle hints-its only explicitly spelled out more than halfway through the film (whereas in 'The Tourist', its made glaringly clear to us pretty much from the start).A major superficial difference between the two versions is to do with the style and grandeur of the remake, which is contrasted by the relative simplicity of the original. Whereas the remake had a speedboat chase in Venice, the original has an equivalent scene of a chase sequence in an underground parking lot. The lack of emphasis on set designs and scenic beauty reinforces the film's prime focus on the character's and their story and also serves to give the film a much more 'serious' feel as opposed to the flamboyance of the remake.Special mention must be made of the lead actor Yven Attal. Unlike Johnny Depp's comedic take on the bumbling American tourist caught up in a world of intrigue, Attal's character is an ordinary man who is keenly aware of the danger he's in, but who also adapts to circumstances quickly enough. His relationship with Marceau's character does read more like genuine love, as opposed to the relationship between Depp and Jolie in the remake which felt more like an infatuation/fascination on Depp's part. Sophie Marceau's 'Chiara' is likewise a VERY different character from Angelina Jolie's 'Elise Ward'...unlike the glamorous and enigmatically playful Elise, Chiara is a much harsher individual, though she does reveal a softer side as the story progresses.On the whole, I feel 'Anthony Zimmer' is a much more serious, and tighter film, than the remake, though I will always remain a fan of the comically thrilling Depp-Jolie starrer as well!

secondtake Anthony Zimmer (2005)Ah, this has its moments, but it sure is overly clever and at times overly derivative. The interactions and scenario of an elite crook and some undercover and suspicious types on the boundaries of the big hunt for him are taken straight from a lot of previous movies--even from "North by Northwest," of all things, which you'll catch in the train conversation and in the general nature of the leading woman in both cases. It's all well enough done to keep you watching if this is your kind of movie, and I didn't mind traipsing along even as it seemed to bowl into a lot of old tricks.What was worse, overall, was the dependence on a huge trick, one that you might or might not anticipate, and which comes along at the very end like a splotch of ketchup on your plate. Yeah, yeah, we were warned the escapee was a master of disguise and had had a lot of plastic surgery, but still, it's just not enough, not enough.Everything is set in the south of France, Nice to be exact, and is pretty and fun (like a lot of other movies set there). The movie itself is French, of course, and in one nice scene a man starts to ask a question in English, and another man (one of the chief cops, we suppose) says, "I don't speak in English," or something to that effect. It seems a perfect point to make as so many movies these days are partly in English as if to make it easier on British and American (and Aussie and South African and Singaporean, yes yes) audiences. (A lot of French films in particular use a bit of English--or a lot--to do more than just sound international.)But I find an interesting nuance mostly because the movie is otherwise a very straightforward affair. Enjoy. See it on a plane. Have alternatives in mind.

drarthurwells Anthony Zimmer has disappeared with his ill-gotten riches, to change his looks and his voice with plastic surgery to escape the French customs police and a Russian mafia gang. A vacationer is selected on a train by Zimmer's girl friend, as having Zimmer's age and body build, and set up to appear to be Anthony Zimmer in order to fool Zimmer's pursuers. It works well, and the chase is on. One nuance of note: the customs police chief becomes fully aware at the end of what the viewer finds out.A great film in all ways - superb acting, pacing, plot, scenery, and background music - all integrated in a very involving film. See this first, then see the remake (The Tourist) with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie to realize the faults of the remake. The Tourist is not all that bad, perhaps even above average, but Anthony Zimmer is much better.

stensson This is a story which we've seen many times in American movies. About the common gentle guy who without wanting so, gets involved in heavy things. And it could happen to all of us.The plot is rather clever, but you have some unanswered questions in the end. Sophie Marceaux plays the mystic lady and you never know whether she really is good or bad. Not even when the movie is over.What is a quite intelligent psychological drama, turns into a violent outburst. Anyway it's nice to watch such a plot in another environment; here the French Côte d'Azur. But it's too physical in the end and maybe the plot maker hasn't had any real good ideas about how to finish it.