A film that expertly uses weighty moments and periods of silence laced with simmering intensity is intriguing to watch. ‘The International’ is a well-made investigative film that is subdued in its treatment, yet catches and holds the attention of the viewer through a series of well shot sequences in a tight screenplay.
The plot revolves around an Interpol agent Louis Salinger and a US District Attorney Elanor Whitman who are working on exposing the International Bank of Business and Credit, a European bank that is buying small arms from China and supplying them to conflict areas around the world. As they progress in their investigation, they encounter obstacles not only from the Bank, but also from Government agencies that do not want the bank exposed. Salinger is faced with a situation where he must use an alternate method to beat the bank, a method that would mean an escape from his present reality as a law enforcer to a man who takes law into his hands.
The screenplay is well written. The opening scene shows a tense Salinger looking onto an Audi parked in the rain, where a conversation between an agent and informant is taking place. The slow movement of the camera, the close up of the face, the absence of sound except the pattering of rain on the ground, all build up the tension. Director Tom Tykwer uses the same approach right through the film. There are some cleverly crafted action sequences. However, the story loses a bit of bite in the last 30 minutes as part of the twist that sets up the climax. Nevertheless, it is a realistic story without unnecessary idealism.
Clive Owen delivers a fine performance as the troubled and edgy Salinger. He has a powerful screen presence and an intensity that works very well for this genre. Naomi Watts as Whitman is nothing to write home about as is the rest of the cast. They are passable in the smaller roles that are written for them.
Watch ‘The International’ if you want to see a well made thriller that uses good film making techniques to build the suspense.