We don’t know whether “The International” was created by a prophet, but we can be sure of one thing: until the film began shooting in the fall of 2007, both its helmer, Tom Tykwer, and its screenwriter, Eric Warren Singer, had aimed at transforming a global bank into the uttermost present-day villain, as its managers try to gain control over the entire world by enchaining governments to various debt obligations.

 

The movie concentrates on a wobbly Middle Eastern arms deal the fictional bank has been negotiating. While Interpol agent Louis Salinger (the unstoppable Clive Owen) and Manhattan prosecutor Eleanor Whitman (a dull Naomi Watts) go all-out to unearth the truth behind the situation, they begin to make clear how the International Bank of Business and Credit puppets rivals as Syria and Israel against each other.

 

In spite of the fact that the final political outcome of these schemes can be overwhelming and destructive, the IBBC only intends to augment each party’s economic accountability.

 

“The International” knows the perfect technique to delivering watertight action movie intrigue, without falling into the dark trap of clichés and maintaining an original façade.

In addition, as the movie reveals enticing details with regard to enigmatic personas such as the IBBC’s security chief (Armin Muehler-Stahl) and one of his mercenaries (Brian F. O’Byrne), watchers become enslaved to the need of discovering more. Thus, when Louis Salinger finds the proof necessary to confront the bad guys and links them to several corruption and amorality-related maneuvers, the villains let out even more astonishing facts.

 

Nevertheless, the film hides a couple of minuses as well. The two main characters and the script fail to weigh against the stunning flamboyance of the settings, which expose the beautiful Milan, Berlin and Istanbul, the sumptuous and opaque ambiance of outrageous corporate prosperity and control, as well as the daring chaos of a shootout inside the Guggenheim Museum.

 

Taken as a whole, the film is short of the splash, wittiness, weight and spirit to become an unequaled thriller. Until the film plays its last scenes, the luxurious paraphernalia peters out and the movie gives the impression of thoroughness and strength, but that’s it.

 

Naturally, it’s stimulating to witness nowadays a suspense production taking its time with intricacy and adding a touch of severity to almost every tragic incident. Nonetheless, the film often treads wearily where it could adopt a less serious tone, while the script does not offer the characters too many clever lines. What’s more, even the intrigues seems to be mechanical at times, losing ground in front of out-of-place happenings.