The International

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With banks currently being mentioned daily in the news, the timing of this film about slimy bankers who clean money from arms-deals is either perfect timing, or a happy accident. Either way, this slightly dragged out thriller-come-action film won't exactly wow you, but it will deliver sufficient, if sporadic, thrills - despite a plot far too weighed down with its own self importance to really connect. Clive Owen is an Interpol agent, who is on the track of a bank's shady dealings in Germany when a colleague is murdered. He and a rogue American DA (Watts) appear to be the only ones looking to fully investigate, and inflict a dose of cold, hard, justice. What unravels is a hardly stellar, but ultimately enjoyable film, which once again showcases Owen's subtle charisma. He's a man on a mission here; purposeful, driven and on a collision course with a faith that would appear inevitable from the first few frames. Watts, on the other hand, basically fills the obligatory female role, and is stung with some terrible dialogue - especially when having the clichéd arguments with her superior in New York. Those stunted exchanges are easily the low-point of the film, and both actors appear uncomfortable delivering them. Still, there is more than enough going on here to distract; granted, at points there is too much going on. But the action, which is sparsely placed throughout, is well handled by Tykwer, who tries to keep the shootouts as realistic as possible. A bullet riddled affair at the Guggenheim in New York is a particular stand-out, as is the tense staging of an assassination, shot from a bird's eye view. It moves briskly enough for the most part as well - but the pacing would've been spot on had it ended at least fifteen minutes earlier. When there comes a point when you're awaiting the evitable, and that point goes on for more than a few minutes after you've picked up your coat to leave, then a film has outstayed its welcome. Solid, if hardly spectacular, it nonetheless pushes the right buttons to warrant a gander.