Directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) The International was advertised as a nonstop action thrill ride with all the adrenaline of a real life international bank conspiracy. Unfortunately the film does not live up to this in spite of it’s few highlights.
Although the film generally fails as far as plot and depth go some of the action scenes are quite outstanding.
The movie was filmed in more than six countries and features amazing exotic cinematography. The film really is beautiful to watch. In one segment the main character Agent Salinger (Clive Owen) pursues an enemy on the rooftops of Istanbul. The Blue Mosque serves as the background and the sun sets as the chase gains momentum providing a dramatic visual display.
At almost 20 minutes long one shootout episode successfully captures the audience with its fast-paced movement and the suspense it creates. The viewer cannot help but root for the protagonist in this scene.
Besides those two qualities and an occasional insightful patch of dialogue the movie fails as a whole. The plot is all but impossible to follow. Once the viewer catches up with the collage of action scenes to understand the storyline it descends into another subplot that makes no sense.
Actually as revealed in the end it is less of a thriller and action film and more of a social commentary about illegal gun sales between international governments. And it still failed on this level.
In an attempt to explain the outlandish plot in the event that the reader may for some unknown reason decide to pay money to view this little gem the storyline proceeds as follows: Louis Salinger is an Interpol agent who stumbles into a worldwide conspiracy. However when he makes efforts to expose this injustice no one believes him. Anyone in the past who attempted to stand in the way of this international bank has either died or disappeared showcasing the dangers of this situation.
Therefore epitomizing the ideal form of an honest agent Salinger attempts to bring down the bank outside the sphere of the justice system alongside his partner Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts). This would have been acceptable had it not swiftly descended into catastrophe.
As the film continues the bank borrows money to buy missiles and guns from foreign nations and consequently sells them to other nations to encourage violence. Having achieved that the bank attempts to take over the world through debt control. Unfortunately that is not a joke – it is the plot.
Although the acting in the two lead roles is decent the rest of the cast is not at all impressive. Furthermore the film is extremely slow and always drags on in boring dialogues many of which exist only to explain the ridiculous plot. Ironically despite the plethora of chase and shootout scenes “The International” lacks in action and suspense. The film has none of these qualities. Although the film goes through the motions of traditional action thriller it lacks the traditional spark of the genre.
Besides the one impressive action scene and the general scenery The International is not worth seeing. If the movie were comprised of only the 20-minute action scene I would recommend buying the DVD the second it came to video. Unfortunately you would have to sit through the rest.