KnotStronger
This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
Matylda Swan
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.
Mandeep Tyson
The acting in this movie is really good.
ronnietg
The genres for the International are: Thriller/Crime/Drama. From the get go, this is not a Drama, which emphasizes the internal, intimate moral decisions of the Hero. Yes, the story contained Drama elements, but it was not the genre of Drama. The designing principle that is the key to the heart of the story is defined in the Tag Line: "Sometimes a man can meet his destiny on the road he took to find it." Revenge is not sweet, nor does it make a problem go away, as the Opponent so rightly states to the Hero. The Hero must deal with his Desire/Goal for revenge throughout the story. But the true spine of the story is encased in the genres of Thriller/Crime. We see the crime committed in the first 10 minutes of the story, and as an Inciting Incident, it serves to suck the Hero into action that will change his life forever. What could have been a story with intense Narrative Drive was lost because the screenplay writer decided to give this story a branching form, which took the audience off the Drive/Goal of the Hero. The blond, attractive D.A. was an add-on because as it was written, the Opponent did not try to block her from achieving the Goal. The bank/Main Opponent went after other players instead of going after the Hero and the D.A. By branching out this way and having the bank knock off obstacles INSTEAD of having the bank focus on knocking off the Hero and the D.A., her role was a waste AND the Narrative Drive slowed down. For the Thriller/Crime genre, the spine of the story must have intense Narrative Drive. When there are these two genres, the writer must make the decision as to which genre takes precedence for the spine. In the case of this story, the bank is knocking off opponents left and right - The bank should have been after the Hero and the D.A. This would have provided that punch-counter-punch that was lacking in the story. Also, the Hero and the D.A. would have been on the run while being pursued - which ups the Narrative Drive in this genre. The character of one of the Opponents is used as a mouthpiece for the writer's ideology - This is a no-no in story telling. The character loses his believability in the story and the message in his dialogue comes off as preachy. He's a Communist and goes on about the good and bad points of this ideology. The Hero also mouths very predictable ideology on Communism, which takes the story completely off the Narrative Drive because it really has nothing to do with the Hero's Desire/Goal. The Desire/Goal must be clear; must be one main Desire/Goal; the Hero must be passionate about achieving it. So this speech could have been edited out. The assassin was also a contrivance and part of the branching story line that detracted from the main story line of Thriller genre, which should have had a linear shape to it. The assassin could have been written into the story with a connection to the Hero in some way, which would have upped the ante for the Narrative Drive. The international locations were awesome, but again, the story went off the Narrative Drive by getting into the African nations issues and the Israeli/Arab issues, which should have been a montage or edited out because it slowed the Drive down. Cross-cut between various players associated with the bank would have increased the Narrative Drive in this genre - This would have given the blond D.A. a more intensive role instead of her having a car accident in the middle of the action to get her out of the action for a while, a contrivance again. In summary, the story premise was high-concept, the acting and directing were stellar, but the script was highly lacking key ingredients - Had these flaws been dealt with, the film could have been as high energy as the Bourne series, yet with a decidedly sophisticated high finance angle that could have also capitalized on the exotic settings and cultures of the the story world where the Hero is fighting to come to grips with his main Desire/Goal. The film could have been a 10 had the script flaws been corrected.
Benjamin Cox
Are bankers the new Nazis for the 21st Century? I only ask because the faceless, shadowy corporations they work for seem to crop up in an inordinate number of thrillers, making bankers the pin-striped version of Nazi soldiers. Only with a briefcase instead of a machine-gun. Nevertheless, they are still not to be trusted - the financial crash of 2008 made sure people wouldn't forget that in a hurry. It's little things like this that make "The International" an enjoyable watch because what might have seemed implausible before is now suddenly very real. This classy thriller is a little different to the sort of material director Tom Tykwer is drawn to and is actually very well shot indeed. Its globe-trotting location shoots and intense soundtrack make it feel like an old-fashioned spy thriller but hidden within is arguably one of the best shoot-outs I've seen since the famous Lobby scene from "The Matrix".Interpol agent Salinger (Clive Owen, looking like he's just woken up in someone else's bed) has been investigating suspicious dealings at the International Bank of Business & Credit for over two years. Just as a lead appears, his partner is possibly murdered and the lead disappears. Working alongside Manhattan Assistant DA Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), Salinger believes that the IBBC is responsible for a high number of arms deals to rogue nations, money laundering and terrorist funding but is unable to gather enough evidence. After an Italian arms manufacturer and presidential candidate (Luca Barbareschi) is assassinated by a contract killer (Brían F. O'Byrne) working for the IBBC, Salinger and Whitman follow him to New York. Can they successfully bring him in or will the IBBC get to them first?If one ignores the subtext about killing all the bankers, "The International" is a first-rate thriller that has both the intellect and firepower to really entertain. For the most part, it's a slow-burning conspiracy film that doesn't do Owen or Watts many favours - neither imbue their characters with much personality. The only things that liven the pace up are occasional chase sequences (Tykwer was responsible for the excellent "Run, Lola, Run" way back when) and brief moments of intrigue. It's as though Tykwer was saving all his energies for the shoot-out at the Guggenheim gallery which is a magnificent piece of action cinema, one of the best. Noisy, brutal and beautifully shot, it makes a mockery of most recent action films with much bigger budgets. But all too soon, it goes back to the story although you just want more gun play. The film's sentiments that the world is governed by organisations investing our money in political upheaval with nothing we can do about it is rammed home in a manner reminiscent of a Michael Moore documentary so it's a shame that Owen and Watts couldn't make me care more. What we're seeing here, I suspect, is the reason Daniel Craig was chosen to be 007 rather than Owen.I'm a little annoyed because I feel that "The International" could have been much better. It's a rare thriller that never patronises the viewer and treats them to a positively electric action sequence. It's also remarkably topical and beautifully shot - characters are dwarfed by the vast urban landscapes and cold, sterile buildings they enter. But it lacks a couple of things, namely a more engaging lead duo and a more urgent pace to the editing. Despite the action, it feels a lot slower compared to something like "The Bourne Identity" which was fast, frenetic and jam-packed with blistering action. "The International" manages intrigue by the bucket-load and just the one brilliant action scene. But it can't quite bring it all together - I still had questions at the end and personally, I hate it when that happens. The ending also felt an anti-climax although the film utilises the same rooftops of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul that Sam Mendes did in "Skyfall" and sadly, I saw that film first. I so want to score it higher than I have but I just can't. It's a great little thriller that captivates as well as it entertains and if you can forgive the faults then you'll enjoy it too.
g-bodyl
The International is a fictional thriller that is often thrilling and mind-bending. This movie seems as if it's a real story especially by how the credits are, but this is actually not. But it's something that could happen and it portrays a fascinating inside look of corporate greed which results in murders, betrayals, and just utter mayhem for our heroes. This film also reminds me of the Bourne films in the way the film was shot and some of the action scenes that happened.Tom Twyker's film is about an Interpol agent named Louis Salinger and an assistant district attorney named Eleanor Whitman who team up to expose corruption and greed in the IBBC bank which is a merchant bank that makes deals with criminals and even assassinate their own employees.The acting is pretty good. Clive Owen is a very respectable actor and the same can be said about Naomi Watts. They both work very well with each other and show they have good chemistry.Overall, this is an intriguing crime mystery/thriller that has real world implications on the themes. The European scenery is vast and beautiful and there are some great action scenes. I really loved the shoot-out in the Guggenheim because it was very intense and seemed so realistic. This is an example of how a crime thriller based in Europe should be made. I rate this film 9/10.
Charles Herold (cherold)
The International involves an investigation into a powerful bank that is doing many terrible things and will destroy anyone who gets in its way. I didn't find this totally convincing. Corporations do many terrible things, but normally they don't instigate violence on a mass scale in first world countries, and this made the movie feel about as realistic as cop films in which mobsters blithely kill off large number of cops and politicians.But if you overlook that, this is a pretty good movie. The first half is essentially an investigative drama. Once again, there's a little bit of cliché involved in the way you've got a couple of smart investigators determined to find the truth while being hamstrung by their bosses. But it is interesting to watch the investigation proceed.The second half of the movie is livelier, most notably in a big shootout at the Guggenheim Museum that is pretty entertaining.But while this was well done, I didn't connect strongly with the movie. The leads were professional but a bit bland, the story, as I've said, seemed a little unrealistic, and the look was often a bit too monochromatic for me as so much of it took place in offices.I was torn between giving this a 6 or a 7. I feel it is a 7 in quality, but I think in terms of enjoyment I'm closer to 6.
