New-to-DVD “The International” a pleasant surprise
November 18, 2009
This week’s new-to-DVD review received a tepid reception in theaters, which was largely why I waited for The International with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts to hit DVD. The gist is that Interpol and the New York City DA’s office seek to bring down an international bank involved in small-arms deals in the middle east.
Sure, it’s somewhat typical “rich white guys secretly rule the world” stuff, but the real draw of International is the action.
The camerawork is noticeably unique, with top-down shots and other odd angles done just enough to add to the film without losing viewers in the artistic. The coregraphy for the action, however, is quite well done. The shootout at the Guggenheim is spectacular, and there’s just enough build-up to the action sequences to add to tension without becoming frustrating (a slippery slope sometimes. Remember Executive Decision where – despite perfect tension-building – the film becomes exhausting and kills the potential for subsequent views).
Owen and Watts both do a good job in this, notably because the film foregoes any love interest or super, slo-mo moments to make either protaganist seem meta-human or uber-cool. Thus, their characters are quite believable.
At heart, International is not a deep film, but a good action/intrigue flick that’s certainly worth a rental or buy. It has definite re-playability, and makes a good film for escapism.
Leave a Reply