Banks aren't action-packed places. Unless one is thrilled by small candies, lots of numbers and elevator music, a bank is an unlikely place to look for thrills. "The International," which opened last weekend, tries its hand at making the banking world exciting, but ends up offering nothing more than a boring and confusing take on economic problems caused by a bank's quest for power and control. The film is about as exciting as balancing a checkbook.
"The International" stars Clive Owen as Louis Salinger, an International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) agent determined to figure out why an international banking institution called the IBBC is purchasing large amounts of weapons. Salinger works hand in hand with Eleanor Whitman (played by Naomi Watts) of the New York District Attorney's office as most of the bank's organized crime dealings go down in New York City.
The film begins with an Interpol agent meeting an executive in the IBBC to discuss the company's weapon purchases. After the two part ways, both die in ways that seem accidental, but -- this being an action movie -- there are no accidents.
Salinger witnesses the death of his Interpol colleague and vows to find out why he died. He takes a detour through Italy along with Whitman, witnessing more killings along the way. The rest of the film consists of the dynamic Whitman and Salinger duo tailing a hit man back to New York City in order to get information. Salinger realizes he may need to dispense his own brand of justice in order to solve this problem. Ultimately, the film is not about the problems caused by the IBBC, but about personal revenge. The fact that a mystery gets solved in the process is just an afterthought.
"The International" was supposed to be released in 2008, but after negative reviews in early test screenings, producers made the film more action-packed. Unfortunately, they didn't do a very good job. The movie drags on between scenes and is confusing due to the inordinate amount of financial jargon that is thrown back and forth between the characters. Owen's acting job is comparable to his performance in "Shoot 'Em Up" (2007): dry and sometimes unintentionally funny. The similarities, however, stop there, as "Shoot 'Em Up" was a guilty-pleasure fun ride, and "The International" is torture to watch.
The budget for the film was around $50 million, a hefty sum that the production company probably won't recover since "The International" failed to make it as one of last weekend's top five highest-grossing movies. It was beaten out by everything from the number one film, "Friday the 13th," to the number six film, "Paul Blart: Mall Cop." These numbers provide plenty of evidence for audiences to skip the theater and wait for an early DVD release of this film.
The movie's one strong point is its soon-to-be-famous action sequence in New York City's Guggenheim Museum. Salinger and some NYPD friends follow the unknown assassin into the museum, where he is meeting with his handler to discuss the next kill. Little does Salinger know, that he is the assassin's newest target. As the handler and the assassin are leaving the museum, the assassin spots Salinger and company hiding behind the wall by looking into reflective panels that hang from the ceiling.
This leads to a gunfight that goes on for what seems like a half-hour, as innocent civilians scream and henchmen fall to their death off of the ramp that encircles the entire inside of the building. However, this one incredible scene is not enough to save the movie from itself.
"The International" may be an interesting film for economics majors, those interested in crooked bankers or people who find that anything with Watts and/or Owen irresistible. Otherwise, this lackluster film provides nothing for general audiences except lame detective work and one great action sequence.
