The Tourist (BBC Australian Outback thriller starring Jamie Dornan)

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Harry and Jack Williams (The Missing; Baptiste) are back, back, back with this entertaining piece of scorched pulp fiction about a bewildered amnesiac desperately trying to piece his life together. Someone is trying to kill him. But why? What's going on?! Who's the President?!

It's blatantly indebted to Hitchcock and the Coens, but that's all part of the dry-witted fun. I have mixed feelings about the Willams brothers, they've always struck me as slick hacks with a knack for constructing hooky high-concept thrillers; but their work sometimes falls apart under the weight of attention-grabbing twists which don't really make any sense.

And that might be true of The Tourist too, but I'm really enjoying it so far. The whole thing is available on iPlayer.

[gib]

thanks for the suggestion. Watched part 1 and very much enjoying the ride so far.

Spoiler alert

loved the Duel opening, hints of it being a bit like Lost with a nod to Memento, i'm in!

[close]

[Dex Sawash]

I'll look at it, liked Patriot a lot

[greencalx]

We're doing that old-fashioned thing of watching at as it's actually broadcast, so seen the first two episodes so far. It's pretty engrossing, but I'm spending way too much time wondering how amnesia actually works. Seems to me a bit odd that someone could remember the details of the language that they speak, but not their name. Is this a thing? Could google it I suppose.

[paruses]

Started this last night and have got 2/3 of the way through already.  It's very enjoyable although I agree that it does feel a bit like it's about to collapse under its own weight at times. Enjoying Jamie Doran's comedy touches a lot. Police woman Helen (Danielle Macdonald (?)) is one of those naturally funny people, I think. Reminds me a lot of Merritt Weaver. Took  me ages to remember what I'd seen her in. Turns out it was Unbelievable about a serial rapist (although should point out I didn't find that hilarious).

There are some things that I find distracting: fuel doesn't seem to be an issue, money doesn't seem to be an issue, it's fine to wander around covered in blood and holding someone at gunpoint, everywhere is open regardless of the time of day (I am finding it very hard to track the timescale of events). And like @greencalx, the specifics of the amnesia: seems to know how to use different generations of phones and chargers they need but doesn't know if he can drive a manual. Language skills are unimpaired but has zero cultural knowledge

Spoiler alert

not knowing The Spice Girls

[close]

.

Also - not sure how they filmed the mexican restaurant scene but I have never wanted to go out for a meal quite so much in a long time.

[paruses]

Enjoying this. Onto the last episode tonight. I thought the accidental

Spoiler alert

LSD trip

[close]

was a really good and way to provide exposition and also buy some time for the characters while being interesting. 

[holyzombiejesus]

On to episode 4 of this and my opinion of it has nosedived. It may have been the stupid fight where the big guy has a shotgun but couldn't kill the unarmed people who were in front of him, possibly when the 'dead' man crawled out of well or perhaps when they kept playing the fact that a man has a colostomy bag for laughs (unless I'm reading it wrong). Stil has some funny bits and the female cop is ace but it's not particularly great.

[gib]

i watched it all and have a quick review i ramble posted on another forum

Spoiler alert

Finished that now. It was o-kayyy but not brilliant. I like amnesia as a device since it puts the viewer is possession of the exact same amount of knowledge as the protagonist. The setting was great, all the minor characters such as the helicopter pilot were full of, well, character and made the show's universe more credible. The main characters were good actors.

The story is ok but felt a bit silly at times, like the writers had never quite decided whether this was a hyper real drama or a bit of a knockabout comedy drama which for me meant it fell between the two stools. There are quite a few big nods and borrowings from other shows and movies, not just the opening Duel style scene i mentioned previously. I guess that's true of everything though or maybe it's just because this time round the reference material all happened to be things i liked, perhaps a show that has influences that are unfamiliar would make it seem more original.

7.5 out of 10

[close]

[Dex Sawash]

Liked this a lot in spite of it sort of running out of steam toward the finish. The opening truck bit was well done and as tense as anything for me.

[phantom_power]

On to episode 4 of this and my opinion of it has nosedived. It may have been the stupid fight where the big guy has a shotgun but couldn't kill the unarmed people who were in front of him, possibly when the 'dead' man crawled out of well or perhaps when they kept playing the fact that a man has a colostomy bag for laughs (unless I'm reading it wrong). Stil has some funny bits and the female cop is ace but it's not particularly great.

I didn't see the colostomy bag as a joke. For me it was just  realistic touch for a character who has been through a life-threatening bout of cancer

[Sebastian Cobb]

It's a piss bag isn't it?

[phantom_power]

Sorry yes, wrong terminology

[holyzombiejesus]

Fair enough. I felt it was used as a humorous quirk if not a joke as such. Didn't feel it was done very sensitively either way but maybe I'm just a bit touchy about it due to close family having had a really awful time because of that kind of thing.

Anyway, got to the penultimate episode and bailed.

[poo]

Poundland Coen Brothers

[Bad Ambassador]

Finished it last night.

Spoiler alert

Weirdly grim swerve towards the end of the final episode, with Elliot twice attempting suicide. The inference is that he gets help after receiving Helen's message, but it felt like an odd note to hit after the generally light tone in the rest of the series to suddenly get mega-serious. Elliot feeling guilt about his past is perfectly logical, but the idea that his response is to IMMEDIATELY attempt suicide rather than, say, vow to live a better life and make a plea to Helen that he really isn't the man he was felt like too much of a lurch.

[close]