The International, directed by Tom Tykwer of Run Lola Run fame, stars Clive Owen and Naomi Watts as a team of agents from different departments working to unravel a string of mysterious murders that all appear to be linked to an International Bank. The conspiratorial premise is sound but the narrative struggles to resolve what it sets out to accomplish.
Clive Owen plays Salinger, an Interpol agent who is working along side assistant director attorney Whitman played by Naomi Watts. Together they discover that a powerful and far sweeping bank known as the IBBC has its hands in weapons trading and the nature of which the bank allocates these funds and who it finances is a highly guarded secret. The deaths of people who come close to discovering or revealing these secrets are no coincidence but convincing the various global law enforcers who are attached to the strings of the bank’s puppet masters is the catalyst of what drives the need for justice through the respective protagonists.
Unfortunately the second half fizzles as it capitalizes on lengthy dialogue concerning the nature of economic systems and operating outside the law. However, in that, there are definitely some one-liners that can be quoted for truth but the pace of the movie never picks up afterwards. Even more discouraging and, without spoiling anything, there exists a yearning for redemption that is never fully brought to fruition but strongly created for the audience during the middle of the movie.
Stomaching lengthy dialogue is additionally tough when coming from a bland cast of lead characters. Clive Owen does a brilliant job of playing an obsessed and tenacious seeker of the truth not even letting personal hygiene interfere with his quest. But at one point you want to see him really go over the edge into morally questionable behavior and that is never delivered. Naomi Watts hardly has an impacting screen presence and the introduction of her family as well as the villain’s family sets up the expectation that they are going to be used at some point as either ransom or as an exit strategy. That never occurs either.
On a positive note, the dazzling display of modern and old world architecture is tantalizing to the senses as the characters travel to diverse locations throughout the world. The best use of a location takes place in the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The gun fight that occurs there is long, intense, incorporates a good use of props and is masterfully rendered. It is also probably the most character driven part of the movie and afterwards you’re left wondering how this was accomplished.
The timeliness of The International’s premise couldn’t be more appropriate given the economic climate we’re in and all the banking scandals that have occurred and continue to hopelessly transpire. With this in mind I wanted to see some form of gratification in a movie about the little guy versus Big Brother but that doesn’t necessarily play out so well. The International is worth seeing but renting it might be the better avenue speaking both fiscally and advantageously.
– Chris Walsh
