The International

Clive Owen stars as Louis Salinger –an overly dedicated investigator for Interpol. He has been working closely with New York Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) to gather evidence of wrongdoing by a major international bank, IBBC. Unfortunately, every informant ends up dead moments after they agree to blow the whistle, so the case is falling apart.

What is IBBC doing?

Will Eleanor and Salinger take them down?

The International feels like a message in search of a movie. From the beginning, it’s clear writer Eric Singer and director Tom Tykwer want to serve an indictment on big business and its attempts to control the world through nefarious and dastardly actions. We just need more information to make the case.

The International is a movie going through the motions without much depth and mystery. We learn about IBBC’s plans, but the intention is somewhat vague and the revelation comes with such little fanfare that you kind of don’t care anymore. Even Tykwer and Singer seem to drop the intentions angle to focus on the dirty deeds, gunfights and stuff going boom.

Once The International is more about the action than the investigation, you might find your mind wandering. Why is the NYC ADA involved in a case where most of the investigation and action takes place in Europe? Why is Owen sticking his head in the sink full of ice like Huey Lewis in the I Want A New Drug video? Doesn’t Salinger’s boss wonder where he is as he jets from continent to continent? Where are the weapons going? How come security is so lax all those guys were able to smuggle uzis into a major museum?

Owen brings as much intensity as he can, and Watts is very good at giving us the determined and puzzled faces, but both deserve better than this.

The International is rated R for some sequences of violence and language.