THE INTERNATIONAL (* * *)
RATED R: Strong language and violence
Directed by Tom Tykwer, starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts
The International is a political thriller directed by Tom Tykwer (Perfume, Run Lola Run) about two INTERPOL agents (Owen and Watts) on the trail of bringing down the IBBC, an international bank that has been suspected of buying and selling arms to and from countries all over the world. When his partner is killed meeting with a whistle blower, Lou Salinger (Owen) takes it upon himself to bring down the enterprise.
The film starts off a little slow, with some wooden television drama acting, but the film is shot beautifully and sucks you in over the first half hour. It is a tightly edited movie, with not much extrianious subplot to bog it down. The villian, bank chairman Jonas Skarssan is expertly played by Ulrich Thomsen.
In a sense, the movie tries to make itself bigger than it is. The idea of taking on an international bank that has secretive ties to the FBI, CIA, and countless world government agencies deserves a lot more explanation and background than is given in this film, but Owen and Watts try to make the most of it, as Owen shines as he follows the trail of the men who killed his partner (a shootout in an art gallery is one of the film's highlights).
If you are a fan of Tykwer's previous filmwork, you may be disappointed at what The International brings to the table, but Tykwer's style, especially the visuals, is evident on this project. This is a neat little film that stands on its own and is worth checking out. My rating: 3 out of 4 stars.
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