The film tells the story of a hard boiled Interpol Agent, Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) who is desperately trying to build a case against a villainous financial institution with the help of Manhattan Assistant District Attorney, Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts). Much to the dismay of our protagonists, the banks far-reaching influence and political connections allow them to thwart virtually any and all attempts at exposing them and bringing them to justice.
While the premise of the film sounded great to me on paper, the end result left me with mixed emotions. The photography, direction, score and performances are all great, and the action throughout is exciting — although it is in far shorter supply than the trailer would lead you to believe — but the film falls short of greatness. Where does the film falter, you ask? The story itself — there’s just not enough going on.
It’s not that The International is terribly confusing or convoluted, instead it’s as if the film’s thin narrative material collapses underneath the weight of the films grandiose architecture. In other words, we are led to believe that there is so much going on around us, a deeply entrenched evil force and an expansive conspiratorial web, and yet the threat never feels entirely real, or tangible. The end result of the illusory villain is that we don’t feel like there’s much to lose, and beyond that, we’re not sure exactly what’s at stake or if it even matters whether or not the heroes succeed. While I’m assuming this was the intent of the writer, to paint a picture of a cruel world, guided by an impenetrable network of greed and power, I feel like this is accomplished at the expense of making a genuinely exciting, and engaging film, and even still, I didn’t think the execution was all that great either. For example, I found the hit men in Michael Clayton to be far more menacing, and deadly than all of the banks henchmen, and I thought the conspiracy throughout that film unfolded in a much better fashion. Here, it’s excessively cerebral for no good reason, and altogether uninspired.
Fortunately, under the direction of Tom Tykwer and the cinematographic prowess of Frank Griebe, The International maintains a pleasing narrative flow from start to finish, and is chock full of immaculate shots that highlight and accentuate the various structures/vehicles/people that grace the film frame. Additionally, the performances from the entire cast are pitch perfect and at the same time, somewhat forgettable if only because they don’t leave a lasting impression on the viewer — Owen and Watts have both had better roles in the past. This was perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the film for me, and I find the script entirely responsible. If the two were given a bit more depth and range, they might have been able to explore the characters and we would have grown to see them as people instead of pawns moving in response to the on screen action. Tkywer has a real talent for invoking and creating an emotional connection within minutes (see his short film in Paris, Je T’aime) so I’m letting him off the hook here. I think he directed the story to the best of his ability and I believe the actors did their best, but still, it wasn’t enough to elevate this film beyond mediocrity — a tragic fate considering the outstanding photography.
In the end, The International bares a couple Tkywer signatures, but lacks the intense emotional core and kineticism that he’s known for. Considering this is his follow up to Perfume — a film that is so incredibly lush, bold and exciting — I was very disappointed to say the least. I can only hope that in the future Tkywer takes a step back and focuses his lens on a more personal story, after all that is what he does best.
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