The Tourist
INT. CIPRIANI HOTEL – DAY
A standard hotel room– no lavish suite this time.
Cara stands in front of the mirror. Her shirt is unbuttoned as she works to attach a TINY MICROPHONE to her bra.
The tape gets stuck to itself and she has to start over…
A KNOCK on her hotel room door.
CARA Come in.
Frank enters the room. Sees her half-dressed–
FRANK I’m sorry.
CARA It’s okay. Come over here. I need your help.
In an echo of their first meeting on the train (but without the false flirtation) she turns to him and hands him a piece of tape.
Their eyes meet. A flicker of a smile passes between them.
Frank’s fingers are perfectly steady this time as he helps her secure the microphone and do up her shirt.
FRANK Ackerman told me everything.
She takes a deep breath.
CARA I’m sorry Frank.
FRANK There’s no apology necessary.
He steps back from her. She smooths her blouse. Turns to him.
CARA (re: the wire) How do I look?
FRANK Like the most beautiful woman on earth.
The complete honesty and directness of his compliment takes her by surprise. She’s strangely moved by it.
She brushes her hand affectionately over his cheek.
CARA When will you go home?
FRANK Ackerman asked me to stay with the surveillance team in case the thugs who came after me at the Danieli show up. I’m the only one who can identify them.
Something occurs to Frank.
FRANK (CONT’D) Did you tell him to keep an eye on me?
CARA (busted) I told him to make sure you were safe until this was over.
He nods. A little pleased at her concern.
FRANK You shouldn’t worry about me. What about you?
CARA What about me?
FRANK What are you going to do?
She takes a beat, then puts her game face on.
CARA My job.
EXT. ALEXANDER’S VILLA – NIGHT
A light mist. The sound of water lapping against the shore. The scene is familiar… almost identical to the night of the raid just over a year ago.
Then a wind picks up and blows the mist clear.
REVEAL an undercover POLICEMAN with an earpiece walking a dog a block away…
ON A ROOFTOP three blocks away – A SNIPER with a scope.
INSIDE AN APARTMENT – a FEMALE AGENT with binoculars scans the empty street below.
ON THE CORNER – two blocks down is a village CHURCH.
INT. CHURCH – CONTINUOUS
Ackerman and his team have set up a make-shift surveillance outpost here. The high-tech equipment looks incongruous with the thousand year-old stone walls and worn oak pews.
A bank of monitors reveals various views of the inside and outside of Alexander’s villa.
Frank hovers in the background behind Ackerman. He notices Ackerman has a copy of the International Herald Tribune.
FRANK You all read the same newspaper.
ACKERMAN It’s a good paper. And sold throughout the world. Makes the classified ads especially useful…
Frank nods. Ackerman sits down next to Frank as if he were an old pal instead of a quasi-captive.
ACKERMAN (CONT’D) Since the internet came about, hardly anybody uses old school methods like that to communicate anymore. Except Alexander Pearce. No lines to tap. No signals to intercept. (admiringly) He’s a very clever man, your double.
FRANK I look forward to meeting him.
ACKERMAN So do I.
EXT. WATERWAY – NIGHT
A PATROL BOAT circles in the canal behind the villa. One of Ackerman’s ITALIAN AGENTS is at the wheel.
He sees a flat-bottomed black BOAT motoring toward him. A light from the boat shines in his eyes.
AGENT (in Italian) You’ll have to turn around, sir. There’s been a chemical spill in this area–
FWWWAP! A silenced bullet strikes him in the forehead. The agent topples into the water with a gentle splash.
The black boat steers around the rudderless patrol boat and heads toward the villa…
INT. ALEXANDER’S VILLA – NIGHT
BINOCULAR POV – a lone female figure walks down the cobblestone streets toward the villa.
CARA.
SURVEILLANCE AGENT (V.O.) She’s approaching the destination now.
EXT. BACK OF THE VILLA – NIGHT
The black boat slips underneath some moorings.
A gloved hand tosses a grappling hook up to a beam ten feet overhead. It catches. The boat is tied off.
Silently, a masked figure begins to climb from the boat up into the bottom floor of the villa in the semi- darkness.
INT. SURVEILLANCE OUTPOST IN CHURCH
ON THE MONITOR WE SEE
PEARCE’S ENTRY HALL. Cara unlocks the front door with a key and walks inside.
INT. ALEXANDER’S VILLA/VIDEO MONITORS – CONTINUOUS
TRACK from screen to screen as WE FOLLOW Cara moving through the deserted rooms.
Everything is cold and lifeless. Like a palace that has been turned into a museum.
INT. CHURCH – CONTINUOUS
While everyone is focused on the monitors showing Cara’s progress, Frank notices some movement in a monitor far off to one side…
It shows the lower floor of the house.
FRANK (points) Who’s that?
They all turn to look. A male figure, his face masked, approaches the lens of the surveillance camera…
BLINK! The FEED shuts off.
Ackerman barks at a technician.
ACKERMAN What happened? Get it back on line!
The surveillance techs begin madly punching buttons, etc.
JONES Was that Pearce?
GOYAL How did he know there would be a camera?
BLINK! Another monitor goes dark. Then another.
JONES He’s taking out the entire surveillance system–
ACKERMAN Stop him.
TECHNICIAN I can’t! He’s cutting the feed at the source.
Frank looks anxiously at Cara on the monitor climbing the stairs…
Blink! She disappears from view as well. Everybody starts talking.
JEAN LUC How can one man move through the house that fast?
GOYAL (overlapping) What should we do?
ACKERMAN Shut up! Everyone.
They quiet down. Ackerman turns to the tech.
ACKERMAN (CONT’D) Do we still have audio?
The tech nods.
ACKERMAN (CONT’D) Turn it up.
Everybody in the Church stands stock still. Staring at the dark monitors. Listening.
Cara’s footsteps click up the stairs and then slow…
They move tentatively across the floor.
WE HEAR A THUMP. A door or a heavy footstep?
Cara’s breathing gets louder. There’s somebody else in the building.
CARA (V.O.) Alexander?
No response. Click, clack, click… She takes a few steps.
ON FRANK — concerned.
ON ACKERMAN — calm.
INT. ALEXANDER’S VILLA, PENTHOUSE – NIGHT
Cara stands in the center of the large room. She catches sight of her reflection in the large floor-to-ceiling window. There’s a movement in the doorway behind her…
She spins around to face…
DEMIDOV. He and his two men have removed their masks.
DEMIDOV Sorry to disappoint you, my dear.
He steps toward her.
Cara pales.
INT. CHURCH – NIGHT
Everybody strains to hear what is happening.
JONES (whispers) Who is that?
DEMIDOV (V.O.) How are you this evening?
CARA (V.O.) (a tremor in her voice) Fine, thank you.
JEAN LUC The accent is Russ–
ACKERMAN Shh! (quietly) It’s Ivan Demidov.
Jones looks at him.
JONES (uncertainly) Not possible.
Cara takes a step back toward the window. Demidov follows.
DEMIDOV You’re waiting for someone, Ms. Mason?
Cara doesn’t reply.
DEMIDOV (CONT’D) You haven’t seen Alexander Pearce in a long time, yes? I’m sure it will be a touching reunion.
DEMIDOV (CONT’D) If you don’t mind, we’ll keep you company while you wait.
GOYAL (anxious) What are we going to do?
ACKERMAN We’re going to wait for Alexander Pearce. Just like them.
EXT. ROOFTOP – NIGHT
SNIPER’S POV – CARA has maneuvered close enough to the window that she is visible. As they approach, Demidov and his two men come into range as well.
SNIPER (into his radio mic) She’s brought them to the window…
INT. CHURCH – CONTINUOUS
Everybody is listening.
SNIPER (V.O.) …there are three of them.
ON FRANK’S FACE – he looks around at the cops desperately hoping somebody will do something. They all look to Ackerman.
INT. ALEXANDER’S VILLA, PENTHOUSE – NIGHT
Demidov circles Cara dangerously close.
DEMIDOV Not very polite of your boyfriend to keep you waiting.
CARA He loses track of time easily.
DEMIDOV I have a hard time believing that. (pause) Perhaps he’s already here somewhere… hiding… even watching us.
INSIDE THE CHURCH
DEMIDOV (V.O.) (CONT’D) What do you think?
A long silence. The tension grows. Then we hear…
A LOUD SLAP.
Everyone in the room flinches.
DEMIDOV (V.O.) (CONT’D) You know… I have a feeling he is around here somewhere. And if he cares about you… if he wants to see your lovely face again… he should show up before it’s too late.
ANOTHER SLAP – MORE VICIOUS THAN THE FIRST. This time Cara cries out in pain.
Goyal turns to Ackerman.
GOYAL Sir?
ACKERMAN Demidov’s right. He’s here somewhere…
Another SLAP. Another scream.
Jean Luc looks to his colleagues– Jones, Quinn… then turns to Ackerman. Every one of them is about to burst.
JEAN LUC We have to do something–
ACKERMAN We have to wait.
JEAN LUC Yes but–
ACKERMAN (harsh) She’s my agent. She’s my responsibility.
A muffled THUD. Cara groans and WE HEAR her body hit the floor. That wasn’t a slap.
Every cop in the room is clenching his weapon. Desperate for the order to move. To jump in and stop this.
They are all looking to Ackerman to give the order.
As the silence wears on, even Jones starts to waver. She speaks quietly to Ackerman.
JONES What if he doesn’t come?
Ackerman doesn’t respond.
The lack of sound in the church is even more disturbing than before.
Suddenly Goyal notices…
GOYAL Where’s Taylor?
EXT. STREET – NIGHT
Frank runs for all he’s worth. Panting for breath.
INT. ALEXANDER’S VILLA – NIGHT
Frank bursts through the front door. Races to the steps without hesitating…
INT. ALEXANDER’S VILLA, PENTHOUSE – NIGHT
Cara lies on her side at Demidov’s feet. Blood trickles from the side of her mouth.
Her eyes are clouded with fear and pain as she views the room half-askew. Then they suddenly come into focus as she sees…
A figure walks into the room. FRANK.
He stand motionless in the doorway, surprisingly calm.
Demidov turns.
DEMIDOV (leans down to Cara) Good news. He loves you.
Demidov’s men take Frank by either arm and roughly drag him forward.
Cara lifts her head with an effort.
CARA That’s not Alexander Pearce.
Demidov ignores her and walks up to Frank.
DEMIDOV You know, Mr. Pearce, I thought I was finished with this sort of thing. But in your case, I’ve been forced to make an exception.
He holds out his hand and one of his THUGS gives him a PISTOL and a SILENCER.
CARA He is NOT Alexander Pearce!
Demidov begins screwing the silencer onto the barrel.
The thugs push Frank to his knees.
But he’s barely paying attention to them. His eyes are locked on Cara.
She meets his gaze. For a moment, it’s as if nothing else in the world exists but the two of them.
He may only be a hapless tourist, but he loves her. He’s the one here, willing to give up his life to save hers.
CARA (CONT’D) Oh Frank… I’m so sorry.
FRANK Nothing to be sorry for.
Demidov finishes attaching the silencer. He points the gun at the back of Frank’s head.
DEMIDOV Good bye Mr. Pearce.
At this moment, Cara fills her lungs and screams:
CARA Ackerman!
She bends her head toward her cleavage, yelling into the tiny microphone.
CARA (CONT’D) (furious) Ackerman!!
Demidov is taken off guard.
INT. CHURCH – CONTINUOUS
Her scream echoes through the arched church.
Ackerman gives the order.
ACKERMAN Do it.
EXT. ROOFTOP – NIGHT
SNIPER’S POV – Demidov and his gun-wielding henchmen standing over Frank and Cara.
INT. ALEXANDER’S VILLA, PENTHOUSE – CONTINUOUS
The huge, plate glass window shatters as the high powered bullet slams through it!
Everything explodes in a mass of blood and glass. SCARFACE is blown off his feet. His body hits the ground next to Frank… his gun skitters across the floor.
Demidov looks from the window to Cara with cold fury in his eyes– she’s the one who has called in the artillery. He raises his pistol toward her, point blank.
BANG! The gunshot takes him by surprise. He turns to see…
FRANK holds Scarface’s smoking pistol in his hand. Demidov just has time to process the fact that Frank is the one who shot him before the life drains from his eyes and he topples…
Demidov’s other bodyguard fires out the windows wildly and makes a run for it. Glass flies everywhere.
Frank throws his body over Cara to protect her.
A short and furious exchange of gunfire as the other plate glass windows explode. Wood splinters fill the air as furniture is torn apart. Finally…
One of the sniper’s bullets finds its target and the BODYGUARD goes down.
Frank remains on top of Cara, shielding her until long after everything has fallen silent.
EXT. ALEXANDER’S VILLA – NIGHT
Ackerman and his team approach, guns drawn.
Undercover agents converge as well, closing the perimeter.
INT. ALEXANDER’S VILLA, PENTHOUSE – NIGHT
Frank and Cara sit in the middle of the room amongst a sea of broken glass. Just getting over the shock of being alive.
FRANK Are you all right?
Cara nods. She looks at him for a long moment, then breaks out into a smile.
CARA I did well to choose you on the train…
Frank’s turn to smile. He looks around the room at the carnage.
FRANK You didn’t get to arrest Alexander Pearce…
CARA He never showed up.
Frank slides closer to her. Gently, carefully, he slips his hands into Cara’s cleavage.
Surprised, Cara starts to pull back– but he puts a finger to her lips.
She hesitates… looks at him questioningly. But she doesn’t protest as his fingers move toward her bra…
…and grasp the tiny MICROPHONE. With a sharp tug, he rips it free. He tosses it across the room.
Then he leans a little closer and whispers in her ear:
FRANK (a British accent) You’re wrong. I’m here.
She straightens up. Her heart skips a beat.
FRANK (CONT’D) It’s me. I’m here.
She covers her mouth. Her eyes mist over with tears.
She runs her fingers over his face with loving amazement. Like a blind person trying to recognize a familiar face.
Her mind reels…
Then their lips meet. They kiss. And kiss. Like drinking from a fresh spring in the desert.
Finally she pulls away and looks at him.
CARA Why?
FRANK You said I’d told so many lies, you wouldn’t believe me even if I did tell the truth… This was the only way to convince you. (pause) The truth is that I love you. All that matters is that you believe me.
She stares into his eyes for a beat. Finally looking at her without a trace of deception. She believes.
They hear voices on the stairs below.
Frank holds up a finger to her– wait.
Frank crawls across the room and presses a hidden latch on a built-in bookshelf. It swings out of the way to reveal a hidden safe built into the floor.
Frank removes the fitted floor boards. There is a sophisticated BIO-METRIC LOCK — just like the one at the gate in the beginning of the movie.
Frank places his finger on the spot and the lock clicks open.
INT. ALEXANDER’S VILLA – NIGHT
TRACK WITH ACKERMAN up the stairs.
He leads the team into the PENTHOUSE.
He looks around at the mess as the agents fan out.
Cara leans on Frank’s arm as she heads for the exit.
ACKERMAN Cara… I want the paramedics to make sure you’re all right–
She blows right past him. Ackerman calls out after her.
ACKERMAN (CONT’D) Cara…
She pauses. Turns to face him.
Ackerman looks down for a moment, ashamed.
ACKERMAN (CONT’D) I’m sorry… I… we’ll talk about this later.
CARA No we won’t. There’s nothing to talk about. I don’t work for you anymore.
She walks past him. For a moment Ackerman and Frank look at one another.
ACKERMAN Mr. Taylor… you’re free to go.
He looks at Frank with a measure of begrudging respect.
ACKERMAN (CONT’D) It seems I underestimated you.
FRANK (American accent) It seems you did, Mr. Ackerman.
With that, Frank steps out of the room. Ackerman’s attention is distracted by–
GOYAL Sir… over here. Take a look at this!
Goyal has found the safe. Ackerman comes over and looks.
INSERT CLOSE UP – the only thing in the safe is a single
FLASH DRIVE.
Goyal signals to one of the TECHS. He opens a laptop on the desk and they plug in the FLASH DRIVE to check the contents.
While they are doing this, Ackerman bends to inspect the
BIO-METRIC LOCK.
ACKERMAN He was here.
Jones looks on eagerly as numbers fill the screen.
GOYAL Account numbers… access codes… unless I’m mistaken… he left the money behind.
JEAN LUC A mistake perhaps?
JONES How much is there?
Goyal scans down to a total…
GOYAL Looks like 744 million.
JONES That’s no mistake… (walks over) That’s his tax bill.
She holds out her hand to the TECH who has just removed the FLASH DRIVE.
JONES (CONT’D) I’ll take that.
She slips it into her pocket, then turns to Ackerman.
Ackerman has moved away. He’s staring down at the ground — from behind he looks like a man defeated.
JONES (CONT’D) Well John… with the funds recovered, I don’t think there’s going to be any appetite from our side to continue this investigation.
Ackerman’s shoulders are slumped, staring at Demidov’s dead body on the ground. Jones puts a hand on his back, consoling him.
JONES (CONT’D) I’m sorry you didn’t get your man.
Then Ackerman turns… a big smile on his face.
ACKERMAN Oh but I did get my man, Ms. Jones.
She realizes; he was after Demidov all along.
Ackerman nods to Goyal, a twinkle in his eye.
ACKERMAN (CONT’D) Mr. Goyal, you may place Mr. Quinn under arrest now.
Quinn is taken completely off guard. Before he can move, Goyal and another agent have placed him in handcuffs.
ACKERMAN (CONT’D) (to Quinn) What? You thought I didn’t know? You were unwittingly quite helpful; without you Mr. Demidov might have escaped justice.
He turns to Jones with a smile.
ACKERMAN (CONT’D) After all, Demidov wasn’t a target of this investigation, was he?
Ackerman walks over to the window as Quinn is led away.
ACKERMAN’S POV – Cara and Frank walk toward the canal in the street below.
A WATER TAXI approaches.
JONES There’s something I don’t understand… how did Pearce manage to get here and open that safe without anybody noticing? And where did he go?
Ackerman stands at the window with his hands behind his back. For the briefest of moments, Frank looks back up at him and their eyes connect.
Frank gives him a little smile. Cara takes his arm to climb onto the boat.
CLOSE ON ACKERMAN: his eyes narrow. He knows.
For a moment he doesn’t move. Then, in spite of himself, a small smile creeps over his face too.
ACKERMAN Because Pearce was cleverer than all of us.
EXT. WATER TAXI – NIGHT
Cara and Frank step on board.
The DRIVER starts the engine.
He turns to REVEAL… that he is the “ENGLISHMAN” we’ve seen throughout the movie. He and Frank look at one another for a moment.
THE ENGLISHMAN $20 million dollars worth of surgery and that’s the face you chose?
FRANK (English accent) It’s good to see you too.
They embrace warmly. Cara is in disbelief, realizing just how completely Frank/Alexander has planned things out.
She casts one last glance backwards.
CARA You really think they’ll just give up?
FRANK The Americans have their money. I left it all for them.
CARA What about Demidov’s money?
FRANK Well… (smiles) You have to save something for your pension.
The Englishman opens the door to the cabin for them.
A bottle of Crystal Champagne and two glasses are set out for them. Frank leads Cara in and offers her a glass.
Instead, she slips into his arms and presses against him. They begin to kiss…
CAMERA STAYS discreetly behind as they pull away from us, the water taxi swinging out into the Grand Canal.
As it recedes from view, the vaporetto’s tail lamps shimmer and blend into the beautiful lights of Venice… a city for lovers.
