The International
TITLE: THE INTERNATIONAL
Quality: * * * * Acceptability: -2
SUBTITLES: -- Some English subtitles --
WARNING CODES:
Language: LLL
Violence: VVV
Sex: S
Nudity: N
RATING: R
RELEASE: February 13, 2009
TIME: 118 minutes
STARRING: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Brian F. O'Byrne
DIRECTOR: Tom Tykwer
PRODUCERS: Charkles Roven, Richard Suckle and Lloyd Phillips
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Alan G. Glazer and Ryan Kavanaugh
WRITER: Eric Warren Singer
BASED ON THE NOVEL/PLAY BY: N/A
DISTRIBUTOR: Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment
CONTENT: (BB, PP, LL, VVV, S, N, A, D, M) Strong moral worldview with a strong positive view of American law enforcement workers, plus some discussion in a couple places about international banking and one villain's former involvement with Communist regimes in Eastern Europe that may be politically ambiguous, though it was hard to tell as the movie was playing, but movie seems to argue for government regulation of banking activities, which could be interpreted in a socialist or a capitalist way, depending on one's viewpoint; about 26 obscenities (including eight or nine "f" words), two strong profanities, four light profanities, and man vomits and collapses after being given a deadly poison; action violence includes a chase scene, woman breaks her arm after being run down by a car, an assassination, two other men murdered in a contract hit, and very strong violence with some blood occurs in an intense and elaborate gunfight scene in a museum; married woman attorney asks disheveled, intense Interpol agent when was the last time he "got laid" and man jokingly asks if she's offering, but nothing happens because woman is clearly devoted to her husband and child despite any implied attraction she may feel for the other man; upper and rear male nudity on a corpse; alcohol use; some smoking; and, money laundering, bank has its own hit squad and tries to manipulate governments, Interpol agent decides to do an illegal wiretap on villains so he can feed special information to the buyers in an illegal arms deal that would ruin the deal for the villains, and hitmen threaten museum visitors.
GENRE: Thriller
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Older teenagers and adults
Please address your comments to:
Michael Lynton, Chairman/CEO
Amy Pascal, Chairman - Motion Picture Group
Sony Pictures Entertainment
(Columbia Pictures/TriStar/Screen Gems/Provident/Triumph Films)
10202 West Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232-3195
Phone: (310) 244-4000; Fax: (310) 244-2626
Web Page: www.spe.sony.com/
SUMMARY: THE INTERNATIONAL is a brilliantly executed, suspenseful thriller about an Interpol agent teaming up with a U.S. district attorney and some New York detectives to stop a corrupt international bank involved in laundering money, arms trafficking, murder, and support of terrorism. The movie's strong foul language, intense violence and one light sexual joke merit strong caution for moviegoers.
IN BRIEF:
THE INTERNATIONAL is a brilliantly executed, suspenseful thriller. Clive Owen stars as Interpol Agent Louis Salinger. Lou teams up with an Assistant District Attorney in New York, Eleanor Whitman. Both are investigating a corrupt international bank that seems to be murdering people who stand in its way. The bank is involved in laundering money, arms trafficking and even support of terrorism. It has just murdered an Interpol agent, Lou's partner. Lou and Eleanor's investigation takes them to Milan, New York and Istanbul. An intense gun battle inside the Guggenheim Museum leads Lou to take matters into his own hands, starting with an unauthorized wiretap.
THE INTERNATIONAL is riveting. The movie also is provocative, dealing with issues that are both timely and universal. Clive Owen does a super job playing the haggard, earnest, Interpol agent. Naomi Watts is excellent as the intelligent, diligent attorney. There are strong obscenities and bloody shootings (especially in the intense gun battle) that merit real caution. The other moral points are generally good, with a positive view of American law enforcement workers. THE INTERNATIONAL is superb filmmaking. It will put you on the edge of your seat.
