The International

It’s crucial when making a thriller not to boot the audience out of their trance, and the worst way to do that is to toss in an obviously clichéd line. So when I’m watching The International, and the hardboiled New York City district attorney gets dressed down because her boss is afraid of “getting in a turf war with the Justice Department,” or when she shouts back, “I’m just trying to get to the truth,” it’s a bit of a downer. But by about halfway through, The International finds its footing during a comically awesome shootout inside the Guggenheim. It goes on forever, featuring a dozen gunmen; somebody’s partner gets killed. From there, it’s Clive Owen as Interpol Agent Louis Salinger hunting down the corrupt heads of the International Bank of Bad Guys. They deal arms to children and kill anyone who crosses their path or feeds their dogs or something, and they all have accents, so: Evil. Owen is decent, and Naomi Watts, who plays his friend The Sexy D.A., is actually excellent. Ultimately, though, this is just a decent thriller. You’ll be entertained, but director Tom Tykwer (Run, Lola, Run, The Princess and the Warrior) creates higher expectations.