Released at the time America suffered from the economic recession, THE INTERNATIONAL, with its intriguing premise about the possibility that the bank is doing some dirty business with illegal arms dealings, is a pretty relevant thriller released at just the right time. It's also well-crafted and handsomely-shot with a standout shootout sequence in the Guggenheim Museum that would have earned the late Alfred Hitchcock's approval. However this otherwise well-crafted thriller suffers from uneven pacing, especially during the plodding midsection punctuated only by the said shootout sequence.
Clive Owen plays Louis Salinger, a Interpol agent who has been part of an on-going investigation of IBBC (International Bank of Business and Credit), an anagram of CBBI (Bank of Credit and Commerce International, real subtle!) which suffered a real-life banking scandal during the late 80's. They suspect that the successful banking institution may be part of illegal weapons trading, murder, and involvements with international terrorism. Salinger is partner with Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), who is there and doing her best but never put to much good use. Most of the time, she's even out of the picture when the action starts or in scene that advance the plot.
The plot develops in such a way that Hitchcock would have loved: The investigation moves from Berlin to Milan, from New York to Istanbul, each with some standout moments and intriguing twists that heighten the suspense without having to be too dumb or preposterous. The Guggenheim sequence alone would have earned my approval, with it's superb editing and brilliant photography. Had it been shot in VistaVision as a Hitchcock movie would have, it would have been complete. But director Tom Twyker also manages to make even the smaller moments of the film matter, like when Salinger reevaluates an assassination attempt or even a suspenseful moment when a shooter waits for a precise moment to take a shot. It's a small moment, but Twyker had my pulse-pumping.
Nevertheless, THE INTERNATIONAL is not free from its flaws. Although the movie is never truly boring or uninteresting, it's neither as exciting or pulse-pounding. The middle act leading to an okay climax (a chase on the rooftops in Istanbul; not bad but Hitchcock has done better) is marred by some heavy exposition that bogs down the excitement. As much as I find nothing wrong with a dialogue-driven thriller, trying to explain every detail of what's going on loses much of thrill. Other than that, I'd say THE INTERNATIONAL is well worth watching. In a time where a thriller can just be an endless barrage of shootouts and implausible twists, this is an intriguing thriller, even if it's superb individual moments standout in an uneven whole.
Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.
Clive Owen plays Louis Salinger, a Interpol agent who has been part of an on-going investigation of IBBC (International Bank of Business and Credit), an anagram of CBBI (Bank of Credit and Commerce International, real subtle!) which suffered a real-life banking scandal during the late 80's. They suspect that the successful banking institution may be part of illegal weapons trading, murder, and involvements with international terrorism. Salinger is partner with Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), who is there and doing her best but never put to much good use. Most of the time, she's even out of the picture when the action starts or in scene that advance the plot.
The plot develops in such a way that Hitchcock would have loved: The investigation moves from Berlin to Milan, from New York to Istanbul, each with some standout moments and intriguing twists that heighten the suspense without having to be too dumb or preposterous. The Guggenheim sequence alone would have earned my approval, with it's superb editing and brilliant photography. Had it been shot in VistaVision as a Hitchcock movie would have, it would have been complete. But director Tom Twyker also manages to make even the smaller moments of the film matter, like when Salinger reevaluates an assassination attempt or even a suspenseful moment when a shooter waits for a precise moment to take a shot. It's a small moment, but Twyker had my pulse-pumping.
Nevertheless, THE INTERNATIONAL is not free from its flaws. Although the movie is never truly boring or uninteresting, it's neither as exciting or pulse-pounding. The middle act leading to an okay climax (a chase on the rooftops in Istanbul; not bad but Hitchcock has done better) is marred by some heavy exposition that bogs down the excitement. As much as I find nothing wrong with a dialogue-driven thriller, trying to explain every detail of what's going on loses much of thrill. Other than that, I'd say THE INTERNATIONAL is well worth watching. In a time where a thriller can just be an endless barrage of shootouts and implausible twists, this is an intriguing thriller, even if it's superb individual moments standout in an uneven whole.
Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.