The International Cast, Crew, Story, Theme, Review Muse-En-Scene, Life Connections

Interpol Agent Louis Salinger and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman are determined to bring to justice one of the world's most powerful banks. Uncovering myriad and reprehensible illegal activities. MPAA Rating: R (for some sequences of violence and language) THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

NAOMI WATTS (Eleanor Whitman) NAOMI WATTS (Eleanor Whitman)  In 2004, she was honored with an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in 21 Grams.  Born in England, Watts moved to Australia at the age of 14 and began studying acting. THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

CLIVE OWEN (Louis Salinger) CLIVE OWEN (Louis Salinger)  Owen was seen in Fall 2005 in Derailed.  In 2005 that he won a Golden Globe and picked up an Academy Award nomination for his role in Closer. THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

Director TOM TYKWER was born in Wuppertal in 1965 and made his first Super-8 film when he was 11 years old. THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

Screeplay by Eric Warren Singer Original Music by Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer Cinematography by Frank Griebe Film Editing by Mathilde Bonnefoy) THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

The film was inspired by the BCCI, or Bank of Credit & Commerce International, banking scandal, which took place throughout the 80s and into the early 90s. THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

In The International, a thriller, Interpol Agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) are determined to bring to justice one of the world’s most powerful banks. THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

Uncovering myriad and reprehensible illegal activities, Salinger and Whitman follow the money from Berlin to Milan to New York to Istanbul. THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

Finding themselves in a high-stakes chase across the globe, their relentless tenacity puts their own lives at risk as their targets will stop at nothing – even murder – to continue financing terror and war. THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

THE INTERNATIONAL FEEL “We felt it was important to shoot in all of these various locations to make it feel authentic, not in a showy way, but because it was organic to the story.” -- Producer Richard Suckle. THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

THE MEANING OF CONCRETE “There is an undercurrent to all these companies beyond the open book façade they present. And I find modern architecture is like that too. It very often works with glass to show penetrability, yet also makes use of a lot of concrete – the most solid material one can hide behind.” --Director Tom Tykwer THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

60% Positive Consensus voice: "I enjoyed The International. Clive Owen makes a semi-believable hero, not performing too many feats that are physically unlikely." --Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

“Money creates debt, and debt creates influence.” --The producers THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

THE INTERNATIONAL explores the heroism of individuals against overpowering forces and overwhelming odds. It is a film about the intensity, courage and determination of the human spirit. It is therefore a celebration of human resourcefulness and ambition. However, these noble qualities are far less than primary to the film. Additionally, the fact that it is based on a real historical event has little to do with the end production. Its goal is to merely be an entertaining thriller. And indeed it is. If there was a message, it could be: “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” THE INTERNATIONAL Review © David Bruce

MAKING A BETTER WORLD “It’s a film about our times. It’s about weapons, power, and money. Perhaps we can’t make a better world by doing films, but we should always try.” -- Screenwriter Eric Mueller-Stahl THE INTERNATIONAL ©2009 Columbia Pictures. Review © David Bruce

If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to. --Dorothy Parker THE INTERNATIONAL THE INTERNATIONAL Review © David Bruce