The International (2009/I)

Director:

Tom Tykwer

Writer (WGA):

Eric Singer (written by)

Release Date:

13 February 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

They control your money. They control your government. They control your life. And everybody pays.

Plot:

An Interpol agent attempts to expose a high-profile financial institution's role in an international arms dealing ring.

Plot Keywords:

Bank | Interpol | District Attorney | New York | Istanbul

Cast

Clive Owen	...	Louis Salinger
Naomi Watts	...	Eleanor Whitman
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Wilhelm Wexler
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Jonas Skarssen
Brian F. O'Byrne	...	The Consultant
Michel Voletti	...	Viktor Haas
Patrick Baladi	...	Martin White
Jay Villiers	...	Francis Ehames
Fabrice Scott	...	Nicholai Yeshinski
Haluk Bilginer	...	Ahmet Sunay
Luca Barbareschi	...	Umberto Calvini (as Luca Giorgio Barbareschi)
Alessandro Fabrizi	...	Inspector Alberto Cerutti
Felix Solis	...	Detective Iggy Ornelas
Jack McGee	...	Detective Bernie Ward
Nilaja Sun	...	Detective Gloria Hubbard

MPAA:

Rated R for some sequences of violence and language.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA | Germany | UK

Language:

English | Italian | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44264) | Germany:16 | UK:15 | South Korea:18 | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Japan:PG-12 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Singapore:NC-16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:PG (edited version) | India:A (cinema release) | Mexico:B15 | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

59th Street Bridge, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures

Trivia:

After badly received previews, the film was pushed back from its August 2008 release date to February 2009 to allow re-shoots to turn it into more of an action film - only for the film to be released in the middle of the worst banking crisis in U.S. history.

Goofs:

Continuity: (At 31:15 - 31:20) Shortly after Mrs Whitman and Salinger have left the elevator, Whitman's scarf is wrapped around her neck and a few seconds later after a cut it has suddenly changed its position.

Quotes:

Wilhelm Wexler: Sometimes a man can meet his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.

Movie Connections:

References Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

Soundtrack:

Strange Brew

Excellent thriller

No complaints at all about this gripping movie. The plot is original compared to the usual cops versus bad guys trash that often gets pumped out. The story centers around an international bank that makes its profits by supplying weapons to combatants in the various conflicts that cover the planet. Clive Owen is an Interpol guy trying to bring the bank down. The script is excellent, the acting is very good and the photography is above par for this kind of film. Excellent direction. This movie doesn't try too hard, is free of the clichés that often serve instead of fresh ideas and has a great shoot-out where the surprises and action keep you on the edge of your seat without trying to overwhelm with gore and jerky camera work.

Go see it, you'll enjoy it.