The International

In this politically correct environment we are living in, it’s hard to find a good villain. You either have to go back in history and call forth the old reliables, like the Nazi’s. Or, jump forward in time and create a science fiction counterpart. But, for as long as cinema has been around, bankers and money-lenders have always been good, bad guys. Whether it’s the black caped, mustached villain trying to foreclose on the ranch, or the Carpet Bag bankers being robbed by Jesse James, banks have never been popular.

I liked The International from the very beginning. Clive Owen is hot on the trail of evidence that will prove that the largest private bank in the world is dealing in illegal arms. The film starts out intense, and maintains this pace throughout the entire film. The script was tight and intelligent, and some of the lines were so poignant that I found myself wishing I had a paper and pencil to write them down. Clive Owen makes an excellent agent. Whether he’s sitting behind a desk shuffling papers, or blazing it out in a gun fight, you knew that he would not give up until justice was served.

Naomi Watts is also good as an American Agent. She is equally determined to expose this conspiracy, but her life is a little more balanced. She has a family, and she trusts her superiors and her justice system to back her up. Clive’s character has been burned before. He has seen the long arm of money and power outreach the long arm of the law. He feels that time is running out and he’s getting desperate. Naomi’s character wants to support him and so they step outside of the law to get the job done and risk both of their careers.

In addition to the excellent script, I also like the locations. I saw parts of the world that I’d never seen before. The cinematography was beautiful, as well as artistic, and there were some very interesting locales. I also liked the score. For my money, The International was a good ride.

Rating: First Run Lots of action and no romance to slow it down