The International (R) ★★★

A globe-hopping suspense thriller with bankers as the villains. Now THAT'S timely!

Story

Looking like it was ripped from the headlines, The International focuses on the corrupt dealings of a fictional bank that will go to any means possible to serve as a conduit for illegal weapons sales to people who shouldn't be getting them. Enter an Interpol agent (Clive Owen), who is teamed with a New York assistant District Attorney (Naomi Watts) to go after a network of suave, crafty Europeans bent on carrying out their dirty business as they always have. Following their trail around the world in such locales as Berlin, Italy, New York and Istanbul, the two become targets in an unending high stakes game of murder and intrigue.

Acting

Looking more unkempt and unshaven than ever, Owen totally connects with the role of an eccentric agent who stumbles on to a worldwide conspiracy which eventually leads to a group of corrupt bankers. Who knew? It makes you realize what an ideal James Bond he would have been. Unfortunately, Watts just isn't his match. She comes across as bland and lost, never able to get a beat on this lawyer who is caught up in an international scandal. Forced to utter obvious lines like, "This isn't over" at the 80-minute mark, she has zero chemistry opposite Owen.

Direction

German director Tom Tywker, who broke out with the riveting and stylish Run Lola Run 10 years ago, has his best outing since that film, carefully navigating the numerous and colorful locations with just enough pacing and attention to detail to keep this from turning into yet another Bourne ripoff. He seems totally in control of the complicated and dense storyline, pulling off a sensational set piece at New York's Guggenheim Museum (actually meticulously re-created in a Berlin warehouse), where Owen gets involved in a shootout to end all shootouts with numerous bad guys. It's a stunning scene, running about 15 minutes -- and a textbook example of how to shoot an action sequence. It's reminiscent of some of the best cold war spy thrillers of the '60s and '70s, and that's a high compliment. See it.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 stars.