Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) is investigating a bank, the IBBC, which has positioned itself as the world’s largest handler of crime money. Alongside New York Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), he is coming close to getting evidence of their latest arms deal. The death of another agent throws a wrench into the detective work, though, and a violent quest for proof to take the bank down ensues.

CRITIQUE

European directors, as I touched on in my recent review of Taken, are increasingly found at the helm of Hollywood productions. This film is an example of that, and the results of such a combination are often commendable. The International provides a story of thrills, engaging characters, and no easy answers, and the direction and performances are also successful.

Tom Tykwer, who last gave audiences the disturbing and lush period novel adaptation Perfume, could be said to make a trademark of downbeat (though not outright sad) endings, but the craftsmanship he always puts forth leading up to those endings is just as expected. The opening shot of this film is a close-up of Clive Owen’s Salinger in the rain in front of Berlin’s Central Station as he watches a meeting between a fellow Interpol agent and a whistle-blower from IBBC. Without spoiling anything, I will say that the outcome of the meeting will surprise the viewer, and this opening scene does everything it should. Character is established, plot is successfully set in motion, and the modern look of the visuals fills the frame.

Rigorous plotting is another plus of this production, from a tight script written by Eric W. Singer. After that opening hooks you in, a few well-staged scenes deliver the needed exposition without descending into boredom-inducing stodginess. Then action kicks in to combine with the progression of the investigation and the result is entertaining, not to mention timely. As the economy struggles, making a bank the bad guy strikes a particularly satisfying chord. Of the action in the film, the standout is easily the shootout at New York City’s famous Guggenheim Museum, a phenomenal sequence.

The music in this film is also partly Tykwer’s work and it adds even more of a European feel to the production values. This is an appropriate compliment to the locations and the showcasing of modern architecture. Tykwer has also wisely chosen his actors, giving Owen an action lead that he knocks out of the park. The International is an impressive action film, with a timely plot and a talented director and cast.

THE VIDEO

Columbia presents The International in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is excellent in picture and color preservation, which is a benefit for a film that was planned with such an eye to separating cities by uses of color.

THE AUDIO

Columbia presents The International in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and it works superbly as always. This is especially important for an action film, with so much sound editing. A French track in Dolby surround is also offered, and there are optional subtitles for English, French and Spanish.

THE EXTRAS

Audio Commentary: Director Tom Tykwer and writer Eric Singer join for a track. They are a good discussion pair, because they bounce conversation off each other pretty well. Though Tykwer is German, his accent is not a stumbling block really, and there is a lot of interesting information here. The usual praise is passed around, but we also learn things like the fact that most of the interiors were shot on a soundstage in Berlin, even the New York ones. I like the comments they have about the characters and plot as well, like the fact that an effort was made to make the executives at IBBC feel like real people.

Making The International: A great 30-minute behind-the-scenes documentary that contains a lot of substantive interviews and covers many aspects about the film. The production design of the film gets a particular consideration and we fascinatingly learn that the plot is loosely based on the scandal that broke in the ‘90’s about BCCI, a bank that actually did become the bank for the world’s bad guys. Definitely watch this.

Shooting at the Guggenheim: The most spectacular action sequence in the film is discussed in detail in this extra. We see the amount of work building a recreation of the famous museum takes. For example, the roundness of the design of the building presented its own challenges.

The Architecture of The International: The memorable use of modern architecture in the film is covered here. From the beginning, with its utilization of Central Station in Berlin, the film takes the viewer around the world, mostly Europe and showcases some striking contemporary buildings. A brief extra, but interesting to watch.

The Autostadt: The location used as the central headquarters of the evil IBBC is the focus of this brief doc. It is Volkswagen’s German Autostadt, and it is a gigantic, amusement park-like array of glass and steel structures. Tykwer and others talk about this being the first time this place has been put on film and why it was chosen.

Extended Scene: This 10 minute addition is more like a sequence than an extended scene. The quality of it is good, as it accomplishes several things. The interaction between Salinger and Whitman is deepened a little, there are nice bits of tension and dialogue, and best of all, we meet Salinger’s daughter, something that is never even hinted at in the final film. We also get the closest thing to a romantic moment between Salinger and Whitman that the film has in this scene. A good bonus feature.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Strength of story is the first highlight of The International, and good production values, performances, and direction are the others. Action fans will especially be enthralled, and the extra features on this disc add value to making a purchasing decision.