Review of The International (2009) by Jani H — 10 Aug 2010

"Sometimes the hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn... I'm the one you burn.".

'The International' is a conspiracy/political thriller, inspired by an actual scandal in the banking business. I remember that the film got a lot of bad media coverage, at least here in Finland, because of some at-that-time current scandals at the beginning of this latest worldwide financial depression. And this happened before the film was even released. I've since read that the release of 'The International' was re-scheduled because of bad previews. Maybe it was just a bit too topical?

Cliwe Owen is an Interpol agent investigating on some illegal business by one of the world's biggest banks, IBBC (the International Bank of Business and Credit). During the film, Salinger (Owen) is taken to several places around the world, on his one man mission to bring some justice to the corrupt bank.

The plot of 'The International' is quite timely but that is, in my opinion, one of the strongest factors in the movie. The script needs the complete attention of the viewer for maximum enjoyment. But there is a major fault in the movie. It feels as if Tom Tykwer, the director, doesn't know whether to choose between on making an action movie or a serious political thriller. Another disturbing thing was that the key players are (and remain) distant and lack attractivity.

The cinematography of 'The International' is simply brilliant. There is one action scene that takes place in the Guggenheim museum in NY. It does have credibility as a top-notch adrenaline filled action sequence and is simply an enjoyment to watch. In overall, the film looks and sounds amazing. The crew really know their business.

Cliwe Owen gives a stellar performance but I really didn't like Naomi Watts' uninspiring performance as the attorney assisting on the mission. She just doesn't fit in these kind of roles. This was a lame attempt to get out of the pigeonhole of dramatic roles. But the rest of the cast, especially Brian F. O'Byrne, were good in their roles. I found out later that he has performed in such high-class movies as 'Million Dollar Baby' and 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead'.

'The International' delivers a somewhat good experience and is a nice addition to the genre of political thrillers, which lack recent successes ('Syriana' in '05 is probably the latest). It does challenge the audience with its story and comes recommended for a single viewing.