“THE INTERNATIONAL” (2009) Review
Below is a review of "THE INTERNATIONAL", starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts:
"THE INTERNATIONAL" (2009) Review
Clive Owen and Naomi Watts star in this political thriller about an Interpol agent and a Manhattan Assistant District Attorney’s investigation into the illegal activities of a corrupt international bank. Directed by Tom Tykwer, ”THE INTERNATIONAL” was inspired by the 1991 Bank of Credit and Commerce International banking scandal. I would not exactly call this the best political thriller I have ever seen. One reviewer had claimed that this movie seemed more like the middle of a trilogy, instead of a stand-alone film. Quite frankly, I can see his point. The movie began with the investigation already in process and ended on a very vague note. The best thing about ”THE INTERNATIONAL” was the gunfight in Manhattan’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, bloody enough to rival the famous shoot-out in 1995’s ”HEAT”.
The movie boasts some first-class performances by a solid cast. I was especially impressed by Owen’s passionate portrayal of the relentless Interpol agent Louis Salinger. Although, I must admit that I was not impressed by his common intelligence. Especially by the end of the film. And I found Armin Mueller-Stahl’s performance as Wilhelm Wexler, an ex-Stasi agent turned troubleshooter for IBBC, rather intriguing. Although I found his desire to assist Salinger in the latter’s takedown of the IBBC a bit rushed. Despite a slight dissatisfaction with the movie’s ending, I found ”THE INTERNATIONAL” somewhat entertaining.