The International

Fans of overly complex, conversation-oriented espionage thrillers revolving around absurd banking conspiracies will love The International. For those more inclined towards action with our espionage and Interac with our banking The International works as a fine sleep aid. When Interpol agent Louis Salinger's (Clive Owen) partner is assassinated while investigating the shady dealings of the world's fifth largest bank, he becomes obsessed with exposing a vast international conspiracy involving very powerful, very ruthless men. Aided by New York District Attorney Elanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), Salinger tracks the men responsible throughout Europe in a desperate attempt to bring the wrongdoers to justice. Unlike your local Scotiabank teller, the evil cabal of international bankers has the awesome power to control the world, undermine governments and covertly assassinate anyone that stands in its path, but when slightly haggard Clive Owen gets in the way they pull out all the stops and destroy the Guggenheim Museum in a hail of gunfire, wrecking millions of dollars worth of art in an armed assault that would, one would assume, draw the attention of the entire world and prove Agent Salinger's crazy theory true. To find out what went wrong with The International one need look no further than the commentary by director Tom Tykwer and writer Eric Singer, where Singer's frustration with the many, many rewrites demanded by Tykwer is discussed. Tykwer is so enamoured with his work that you wonder if he is watching the same movie as you, especially during moments where he discusses the brilliance of a certain three-second shot and gets upset when Singer only says that that it's "kind of cool." The International is full of great scenery but the story is a dull, meandering mess full of vague conspiracy theories. The one big action scene is a welcome change of pace but it's too little too late in a movie that, up until then, has all the excitement of watching forensic accountants build a case against white-collar criminals.