Tom Tykwer's The International is a simple-minded action movie with more plot holes than plot. The movie stars Clive Owen and Naomi Watts as some sort of international coppers trying to bring down a bank involved in murder, terrorism, and government corruption. The bank eventually falls, we are to assume, but not really because of anything they do; instead it is through insolvency as a result of the bank's horrible large-scale investments. The whole movie is fairly predictable and uncreative, with flat, boring characters pretending to be deep, interesting ones. Their backgrounds and motivations are absent, except when they might serve as convenient plot devices. Even the action, while somewhat heart-pounding, only punctuated the film two or three times.
The one good thing about this movie was its exemplary cinematography. And it was exemplary. Wow, does Tom Tykwer know how to shoot a movie. From the opening shot, I was blown away by the compositions and camera movements. Hand in hand with the cinematography was stellar set design. And I loved how the movie took place in five or six different countries. But this is a movie, not just a well-shot travelogue, and it just doesn't live up to my expectations for a Clive Owen actiony thrillery mystery. There is much to be desired after seeing this movie, so don't waste your time.IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963178/