Review of The International (2009) by Patrick E — 16 Jun 2010

The International has all the makings of a very good film, for the most part it's clever, it's intriguing, it has excellent acting and action and a good script but sadly the direction seriously lets the film down and as a result the plot has become muddled leaving many scenes confusing and other seems pointless.

The plot revolves around Clive Owens agent Salinger and Naomi Watts D.A. Whitman and their attempts to bring down a major international bank that have been purchasing and selling weapons as well as laundering money for numerous criminal organisations. The plot takes many twists and turns a long the way as our two protagonists delve deeper into the dealings of the bank. The problem lies with the plot being very hard to follow in parts and many scenes seemingly thrown in there for no reason at all. Most of these problems happen within the first hour of the film and all becomes a little clearer at the end but it still takes away from the film as you are left scratching head over why certain scenes have been included.

There is much to be admired, particularly the excellent shoot out scene that takes place inside New York?s famous Guggenheim museum. The acting throughout is very good and the ending is perfect as it's slightly ambiguous. If a better director had been in charge of the film it could have been an excellent thriller, as it stands it's average but still worth a look.