Lawyers are sighing in collective relief that they’re not the only boogeymen in our culture.
It’s the modern-day banker who plays the villain in today’s headlines.
“The International,” recently released on DVD, did all it could to build on that group’s sudden unpopularity, but the film tanked all the same.
It hardly deserved such a fate, what with its glorious settings and handsome leads.
But “The International” remains an aloof thriller, one unable to strike a personal cord despite a stacked deck in its favor.
Clive Owen, who could really use a hit, stars as an Interpol agent named Louis Salinger who’s hot on the trail of an international bank knee deep in weapons deals. He’s aided by assistant district attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), but the pair hit roadblocks at nearly every turn of their investigation.
Seems plenty of folks are out to protect the bank in question, either directly or indirectly. That forces them to piece together clues while putting themselves in harm’s way.
It’s all an excuse to fuse a standard conspiracy thriller with the latest news updates, and for stretches it does just that. Director Tom Tykwer (“Run Lola Run”) drapes his tale in a blanket of paranoia, aided by Salinger’s righteous indignation at the corruption at play.
But as watchable as Owen can be, audiences never really get to know his hardscrabble agent. Yes, he always looks scruffy and has forsaken things like a good night’s sleep, although few mortals look so debonair sporting disheveled hair and a five o’clock shadow.
We never get to know the man behind the poor hygiene.
Watts gets the kind of role meant for faux ingenues, talent-impaired actresses who appear in a few high-profile movies then fade from memory.
Bond Girls have more depth than Watts’ DA character.
“The International” features gorgeous set pieces, many showcasing glass-encased banks which look as formidable as an earth-bound Death Star.
So where are the colorful supporting characters to make the intricate story pop?
“The International” wraps on a predictably skeptical note, but not before a needless shootout attempts to tie up some very loose ends.
(Photo: Clive Owen plays an agent out to expose a crooked global bank in “The International”/Columbia Pictures)
Related posts:
on 
on 
on 
on 
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t you think this movie is proof that Hollywood is in desperate need of a few good writers? Writing is where movies are falling short these days. I don’t think there’s a lack of talented actors or directors. The scripts just aren’t very good and an actor can’t do much with a bad script no matter how much talented he or she has (Depp in “Public Enemies”).
I’m always bemoaning the lack of good scripts. It’s one reason the new Potter film works. The script is clever and filled with human moments. A blockbuster like HP doesn’t need that, but we get it all the same.
When a movie has a smart script, it really pops.
I totally agree. I have no idea how the Academy will find 10 films to fill the “Best” category this year. No idea. They will have to go out and find a few sleepers.
The 10 best pic concept is one of the worst film-related ideas to come down the pike in a long time.
True enough, but Harvey Weinstein buying Oscar noms and wins (even though he’s hemmoraging money) was even worse!
Even when Hollywood takes book ideas for movies, they neuter them to ensure nobody’s “offended” but end up having nobody entertained.
Examples:
1. Bourne series (books dealt with terrorists, new villain: CIA)
2. Sahara (new villain: anti environmentalists/businesses)
3. Sum of All Fears (book about terrorists. New villain: neo-nazis)
I can go on…
I’ll put this on my Netflix anyway. I’m becoming a big Clive Owen fan. I think they should put him in the next Bond film as an evil agent.