Mini-Review: The International

The International
Directed by Tom Tywker
Released February 13, 2009 (USA) / March 20, 2009 (Italy)

This dud of a thriller from the director of acclaimed films like "Run Lola Run" and "Heaven" is one of those films that should never have been made. It's hardly an intriguing premise, and gets boring and stale only moments in. You've already seen the whole movie if you've seen the trailer, and the most obnoxious thing is that the final scene is captured in the trailer. Clive Owen is inexplicably and inconsolably grumpy, leading a team of disgruntled and unenthusiastic agents trying to bring down a corrupt international bank. Naomi Watts, an actress extraordinaire, should probably cross this off on her resume as the one black spot, even worse than "Le Divorce." The only bright spots in a glum, deadbeat film are the fairly awesome Brian F. O'Byrne (Brotherhood) and the score by Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, and director Tom Tywker. The failure of this film's logical progression isn't due to inconceivable plot twists, but instead because of a progression of events which doesn't stay focused, and it hardly resolves anything. The ultimate telltale sign of this disappointing film is the loud sigh of surprise when the film ends at what seems like an arbitrary moment. Skip it for sure; it's absolutely not worth it.

F