Review: The International

The International (2009)
starring: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Muller-Stahl, Ulrich Thomsen
dir. Tom Tykwer

Considering the pedigree in this film, it's kind of underwhelming. I'm not saying it's bad, it has some interesting ideas and solid directing, but it just seems rather plain. I keep going over in my head the order of events and scenes are already slipping from my mind. It really is too bad, I wanted this to be a great movie even if it fails at the box office. Instead it's a mediocre movie, that failed at the box office.

As for the interesting ideas, I was impressed they didn't have a love story. You've got two good looking people like Owen and Watts and it is kept professional the entire time. There is a nice moment of compassion, but it's all about these two people going after a global banking conspiracy and not stopping until they expose it. It's kind of refreshing that a romance wasn't forced and then exploited as a late plot point.

The other is an assassination that becomes quite important to the concluding actions of the film. It's not the results that are good, they seem like a bit of a cop out, but the assassination itself has a fascinating execution (pun intended). The audience is given only glimpses of information and are taught to put it together as later scenes take place. The set up and pay off are rather fascinating even though it relies on a coincidence that sort of screws the entire concept.

Everyone in it is solid, Owen delivers a few clunkers but the script as a whole is pretty clunky. It could have been a total disaster but Tykwer directs with an assured hand and has a grasp of sound that borders on genius at moments. His choreography of the shootout at the Guggenheim is outstanding. He moves away from the typical shaky-cam and gives a fluid and tense gun fight that is fun to watch as a museum get blasted to pieces.

The ending does leave a little to be desired, it's the cop-out I mentioned above. In an attempt to keep our lead characters morally upstanding, the ideas behind how far would a person go to expose world corruption flitters away. All I ended up walking away with is something I've known from watching gangster films. Don't mess with the Italians, they're a vindictive bunch.

6.8 out of 10