The International

Viewer Rating:Steven Seagull has rated The International rating: 3 Star

I didn't know what to expect when I sat down to watch The International all I knew was that it was a thriller of some sort that starred Clive Owen. After viewing I felt that it had its moments but fell flat towards the end. The film is about an Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Owen) trying to uncover & expose the illegal activities of a powerful international bank IBBC. During the opening of the movie his partner is assassinated in a manor that leaves his death looking like one that was caused by natural causes. This spurs Louis on even more he teams up with Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) and together they investigate the banks involvement in weapon trading deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The bank realise that Louis is investigating them and try to stay one step ahead of him by using any means necessary. Clive Owen gives a solid enough performance in the role of Louis a frustrated and obsessive Interpol agent. You want to see the bank get their comeuppance so I found myself urging Louis on in his quest to bring them down. Watts is ok in her role although I felt that the character she was playing didn't have much involvement in the story. It almost feels as if her character has been written in for the sake of teaming Louis up with someone. There is a lot more talk than action in this thriller so if you are looking for lots of gun fights & explosions then this is not the one for you. That said it does have one of the best shoot outs I've seen in a movie this year when Louis encounters the assassin in a museum. It's a very realistic scene and I felt a surge of adrenaline while watching so it definitely did the trick in keeping me on the edge of my seat. The dialogue is ok which is important since there is a lot of it. Some of it though is a bit predictable and you've feel you've seen it before in other movies. The running time of two hours is fine as the film stays at a fast enough pace. Unfortunately the ending didn't really do it for me. I couldn't help but feel unsatisfied and as the end credits rolled newspaper clippings & headlines are displayed which try their best to wrap everything up. The International is a thriller that won't be remembered as a classic but is definitely worth renting out for a quiet night in.

Review published on the 14 July 2009 13:34