Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
An interpol agent and an attorney are determined to bring one of the world's most powerful banks to justice. Uncovering money laundering, arms trading, and conspiracy to destabilize world governments, their investigation takes them from Berlin, Milan, New York and Istanbul. Finding themselves in a chase across the globe, their relentless tenacity puts their own lives at risk.
The International is a competent but ultimately frustrating globe-trotting thriller. The plot starts with genuine intrigue around systemic banking corruption but loses momentum as it meanders through locations without building sufficient tension, and the resolution feels anticlimactic and unsatisfying — the 'system wins' ending is philosophically interesting but dramatically deflating. Clive Owen and Naomi Watts deliver solid if unremarkable performances, with Owen's stoic intensity being the film's main draw. The Guggenheim Museum shootout sequence is a standout set piece, visually impressive and tightly staged, elevating the cinematography above average. However, the film largely follows a familiar conspiracy thriller template without offering a distinctive enough voice or execution to stand out from the genre.