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"THE INTERNATIONAL"
(2009) (Clive Owen, Naomi Watts) (R)

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QUICK TAKE:
Drama/Thriller: An Interpol agent and an assistant district attorney try to prove that an international bank is involved in criminal behavior, but must contend with witnesses who disappear or die as well as the desire of the organization's leaders to quell the investigation.
PLOT:
Louis Salinger (CLIVE OWEN) is a man on a mission and that's to bring down the International Bank of Business and Credit. That's a Luxemburg based financial giant reportedly involved in military arms dealing and the destabilizing of governments, all to capitalize on the related debt that would arise from such far-reaching, global actions.

The only problem is that any witness who's willing to testify against them ends up missing or dead. Salinger's allegations of all of that eventually caused him to lose his job with Scotland Yard, although he continues his quest now working as an Interpol agent. He has a friend and believer in New York Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (NAOMI WATTS), but she's similarly getting heat from above to prove something about the bank and its leader, Jonas Skarssen (ULRICH THOMSEN), or get off the case.

Following the deaths of an undercover agent, his potential witness, and Italian defense contractor CEO turned aspiring politician Umberto Calvini (LUCA GIORGIO BARBARESCHI), Salinger and Eleanor realize their quest has become even more dangerous, especially with Skarssen surrounded by a ruthless inner circle, including Wilhelm Wexler (ARMIN MUELLER-STAHL), who will do whatever it takes to keep the bank operational.

For the latter, that includes the use of an assassin only known as The Consultant (BRIAN F. O'BYRNE). When Salinger gets a lead on him, that results in a trip to New York where he's joined by Eleanor and local cops Iggy Ornelas (FELIX SOLIS) and Bernie Ward (JACK McGEE) who try to track down the killer.

As things become more dangerous and deadly, Salinger does what he can to expose the International for what it really is and bring down the company and everyone associated with it.

OUR TAKE: 6 out of 10
Any given film can become famous or at least memorable for any number of reasons. Sometimes it's the entire package where just about everything falls into place perfectly, resulting in an exemplary cinematic experience. Sadly, that's more the exception than the rule.

For other movies, it can be a terrific performance that stands out; a specific scene that's done so well that viewers often repeatedly watch just that once the offering is on video; or even a single line of dialogue ("If you build it, he will come").

"The International" isn't great from start to finish (although it's above average despite its issues), doesn't have any memorable lines that will become its signature element, and won't likely be winning any awards for the acting in it (although most of what's present is fairly good).

No, the thing for which this film will be remembered, that will elicit repeat video viewings, and clearly energizes the pic right when it needs it is a lone action sequence. Granted, it's not just any ordinary bit of kinetic mayhem, and it doesn't fall into today's norm of hyper-editing and ultra shaky handheld camerawork. Instead, it's simply the best shootout sequence put on film since Michael Mann shot up downtown L.A. in "Heat."

For this one, director Tom Tykwer, who proved he knew a thing or two about staging action scenes in 1998's "Run Lola Run," has placed his sequence in, of all locations, Manhattan's Guggenheim Museum. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the shooting -- both in terms of guns as well as the rolling of film -- likely occurred on a soundstage designed to emulate the real thing. Whatever the case, it comes off as real enough that the end result in about as exhilarating an action scene as they come.

The rest of the film -- stemming from Eric Singer's screenplay that's reportedly based on the Bank of Credit and Commercial International that was involved with all sorts of wrongdoing for several decades starting in the 1970s -- simply can't compare, but that's somewhat akin to saying a Mustang can't keep up with a Lamborghini.

What might surprise many a viewer, however, is the choice of a bank as the story's villainous entity. Although bankers have been the bad guys in movies before (and their institutions have been in the news of recent, what with their involvement in the global financial meltdown and all), they're not likely one's first choice or guess for such a pivotal and powerful part.

Here, the title bank is just another corporate entity that's up to no good, and while their involvement in arms brokering and destabilizing governments around the world could have played out as an action cliché, the filmmakers take it a bit more seriously. In fact, coupled with the visuals and the lone man against the corrupt system theme, the pic has the look and vibe of a serious thriller from the '70s.

You certainly couldn't ask for anyone better than Clive Owen to embody the hero. Strikingly handsome but not pretty, and certainly up for the action and aggressive emotional demands of the part, the actor brings a true world-weariness to the role, and he's magnetic to behold (much as he was in "Children of Men"). The drawback to the performance, however, is that we know very little about the character save for some brief bits of exposition-laden dialogue.

The same holds true for Ulrich Thomsen as the head villain who pretty much takes a back seat -- in terms of viewer interest -- to the great Armin Mueller-Stahl as one of his advisors. Although his character is similarly hampered by scant fleshing out, the actor brings such gravitas to the role that one simply doesn't care. That also applies to Brian F. O'Byrne, but less in terms of intensity and more in regards to the cold, efficient and easy to disappear into the woodwork assassin he embodies. His work in the big action sequence is just as thrilling as that provided by Owen.

The biggest disappointment, though, is with Naomi Watts' character. Beyond providing a pretty face into the otherwise gritty, masculine world, the part is underwritten and doesn't really add much to the proceedings beyond the rote standards for pics like this (the character who serves as the helper, sounding board and such for the protagonist). At least the two buck the standard of falling in love or at least into bed.

Even so, that's just a quibble (albeit one of many) that will be long forgotten when viewers are still marveling at what the cast and crew managed to pull off in the Guggenheim sequence. While there's a decent array of other action in the film (that thankfully targets adult viewers rather than teenagers), the shootout among the spiraling ramps and open atrium is a testament to how exciting film can still be. It doesn't make "The International" a great offering, but it certainly will keep the pic, or at least that one scene, in the collective consciousness of moviegoers for some time to come. The film rates as a 6 out of 10.




Reviewed February 6, 2009 / Posted February 13, 2009


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