Monday, February 16, 2009

The International (2009)

Here's another movie in which I saw the preview very early and was quite intrigued. Especially cause of the fact that Clive Owen is starring in it, he pretty much is on target with his films.

Interpol Agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) are determined to bring to justice one of the world's most powerful banks after discovering they finance more corruption than corporate loans in The International.

This gripping thriller, showcases a compulsive Salinger in his relentless pursuit of The International Bank of Business and Credit’s and its covert dealings. To their surprise and suspicion they uncover illegal activities including money laundering, arms trading and the destabilization of governments; thus Salinger and Whitman's investigation takes them into the shadows of the world. Soon they find themselves in a high-stakes chase across the globe, realizing the bank will stop at nothing, leaving them no choice, but to take their retribution outside the international justice system.

Generally speaking its one of those films that is good but not great, I will say it would not be a waste of your money, it is a pretty good thriller with pretty decent cinematography. Clive Owen and Naomi Watts have a pretty good character partnership which is borderline far-fetched and still believable. They make a pretty good team. I will say this the locations in the movie are quite breath-taking and make you feel as if you are an international traveler taking stops in Berlin, Milan, Istanbul, Lyon and of course, New York. But I guess this would be obvious considering the film is titled THE INTERNATIONAL and thus the foreign locations make the story ring true to the chase for justice and to solve an international crime. It poses the question does Clive's Agent find something of a reward in this chase. I think if one were to read too much into this film they might would lose focus in what the film is trying to portray.

Grade: B

Some "International" Trivia:

*The film was inspired by the BCCI, or Bank of Credit & Commerce International, banking scandal, which took place throughout the 80s and into the early 90s.


*After badly received previews, the film was pushed back from its August 2008 release date to February 2009 to allow reshoots to turn it into more of an action film - only for the film to be released in the middle of the worst banking crisis in US history, undermining the film's premise of an unstoppable bank dictating political policy.

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G-Breezy's Favorite Movies

  • Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum
  • Die Hard series
  • Do the Right Thing
  • Fracture
  • Idlewild
  • Imitation of Life
  • Inside Man
  • James Bond series
  • Love Jones
  • Malcolm X