"THE INTERNATIONAL" (2009) ReviewTwelve years ago, Clive Owen and Naomi Watts starred in a political thriller about an Interpol agent and a Manhattan Assistant District Attorney’s investigation into the illegal activities of a corrupt international bank. Directed by Tom Tykwer, "THE INTERNATIONAL" was inspired by the 1991 Bank of Credit and Commerce International scandal.Most action or mystery films usually begin with an establishment of the conflict that drives a film's narrative, along with a "call of adventure" for the protagonists. Neither seemed to be the case for "THE INTERNATIONAL". The narrative for this film began with protagonists ex-Scotland Yard officer-turned Interpol detective Louis Salinger and Eleanor Whitman, an Assistant District Attorney from Manhattan, already investigating the International Bank of Business and Credit (IBBC)for a series of financial and political crimes.The movie actually opened with Salinger observing Thomas Schumer, a colleague of Eleanor's from the D.A. Office, meeting with a potential whistleblower from the IBBC. Following the meeting, an assassin for the IBBC murders both Schumer and the whistleblower. The latter's widow advises Eleanor to meet with an Italian arms manufacturer and prime ministerial candidate named Umberto Calvini in Milan. Both she and Louis discover the true depths of the IBBC's goals before he is eventually assassinated. The pair decide to find Calvini's assassin and turn him in order to dig up more evidence against the bank.I would not exactly call "THE INTERNATIONAL" the best political thriller I have ever seen. One reviewer had claimed that this movie seemed more like the middle of a trilogy, instead of a stand-alone film. Quite frankly, I can see his point. The movie began with the investigation already in process and ended before law enforcement could move against the IBBC. A montage of newspaper headlines shown during the end credits revealed the bank's fate. And I found that . . . frustrating. I would have preferred if the movie had revealed how Interpol and the Manhattan's D.A. Office finally brought down the IBBC. This vague ending prevented me from harboring a higher regard for the film.I may not have loved "THE INTERNATIONAL". But I cannot deny that I still managed to enjoy it very much. One of the film's virtues proved to be its subject - namely law enforcement's investigation into a corrupt international bank. There have been a few films that managed to enlighten me on certain subjects - Martin Scorsese's 1995 movie, "CASINO" really opened my eyes on how gambling in casinos operated; and his 2013 film, "THE WOLF OF WALL STREET", had enlightened me on the risks of stock investments. Thanks to Eric Warren Singer's screenplay, it is possible I may have discovered how many banks lure customers to become indebted to them through loans. And Singer's script managed to reveal this through one scene that featured Louis and Eleanor's interview with the Italian arms manufacturer, Umberto Calvini. My latest viewing of "THE INTERNATIONAL" also made me realized that although the story began with Louis and Eleanor already in the middle of their investigation of the IBBC, the meat of the investigation unfolded following Schumer's murder. I also found it interesting how the pair struggled to find one person who could not only provide enough information on the IBBC, but keep that person alive.Speaking of keeping others alive, one has to remember that "THE INTERNATIONAL" is also an action film. It featured a good number of well directed action sequences - including Schumer and Calvini's murders. I found Louis' encounter with the bank's thugs rather tense. However, I believe the film's best action sequence proved to be the violent gunfight in Manhattan’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. I mean . . . my God! Not only did I find it bloody enough to rival the famous shoot-out in the 1995 movie, "HEAT"; I believe that sequence was one of the best cinematic shoot-outs in Hollywood history. What amazed me about this sequence was how it started on a minor note. Tom Tykwer did a hell of a job directing this sequence."THE INTERNATIONAL" also boasted some first-class performances by a solid cast. Although I was not that impressed by Interpol agent Louis Salinger's lack of restraint, I was very impressed by Clive Owen’s passionate portrayal of the relentless agent. Naomi Watts served as the film's backbone, thanks to her intelligent and subtle portrayal of Assistant D.A. Eleanor Whitman. I found Armin Mueller-Stahl’s performance as Wilhelm Wexler, an ex-Stasi agent turned troubleshooter for IBBC, rather intriguing, even if I found the character's sudden desire to help Salinger to take down the IBBC a bit unconvincing. Ulrich Thomsen also gave a subtle performance as the film's main villain, the intelligent and manipulative IBBC chaiman, Jonas Skarssen. The most interesting performance - at least for me - came from Brían F. O'Byrne as the bank's main assassin, The Consultant. "THE INTERNATIONAL" also featured some excellent performances from the likes of Jack McGhee, Felix Solis, Patrick Baladi, Jay Villiers, Luca Barbareschi, Fabrice Scott, Ian Burfield, Remy Auberjonois and especially James Rebhorn.Despite a slight dissatisfaction with the movie’s ending, I must admit that I found "THE INTERNATIONAL" quite entertaining, thanks to an intriguing and slightly flawed screenplay and a very memorable and well shot action sequence. One can thank director Tom Twyker, screenwriter Eric Warren Singer and a talented cast led by Clive Owen and Naomi Watts.
"CLASS OF '61" (1993) Review
Twenty-six years, ABC Television aired the pilot episode for an American war drama about the U.S. Civil War. Written by Jonas McCord, "CLASS OF '61" told the story about three West Point graduates from the class of 1861, who found themselves on opposites sides following the outbreak of war.
I have a few corrections to make. "CLASS OF '61" told the story about one West Point graduate, an Irish immigrant named Devlin O'Neil of Baltimore, and one cadet who had dropped out of the Academy following the outbreak of war, Shelby Peyton of Virginia. And the third man turned out to be a young George Armstrong Custer, who did graduate with the Class of '61, but only served as a supporting character in this production. Actually, the third major character in "CLASS OF '61" is a young man named Lucius, who happened to be a slave owned by Shelby's father, a doctor and plantation owner. The movie followed Devlin, Shelby, Lucius and yes, even young Custer from that last day of peace before the bombardment of Fort Sumter to the waning moment of the Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas).
After Shelby dropped out of West Point, following the Fort Sumter bombardment and surrender, Shelby Peyton visits Devlin O'Neil's home in Baltimore and discovers that the latter's father has withdrawn his permission for Shelby to marry Devlin's sister, Shannon, due to Shelby's decision to follow his state into the Confederacy. Shelby also discovers that Devlin and Shannon's younger brother, Terry, has joined a local street mob that happened to be pro-Confederate. After participating in the Pratt Street Riot on April 19, 1861; Terry ends up temporarily imprisoned at Fort McHenry before heading south to join the Confederate Army. Following his graduation from West Point, Devlin experiences difficulty in receiving an Army assignment, due to Terry's actions. Devlin meets a Virginia belle from nearby Alexandria named Lily Magraw at a soirée hosted by long-time Washington socialite named Rose O'Neal Greenhow. Unbeknownst to Devil, both Lily and Mrs. Greenhow are Confederate spies. Shelby's friendship with his father's slave Lucius is tested due to the latter's brief attempt to escape slavery with his pregnant wife, Lavinia. After killing one (or two) of the slave catchers who had spotted him, Lucius is forced to leave the Shelby plantation without his wife and head north via the Underground Railroad.
One would immediately notice that "CLASS OF '61" has no main narrative other than a handful of major characters experiencing the first three months of the U.S. Civil War. That is because this 93-minute movie was supposed to serve as a pilot for a new series . . . which never materialized. But this loose narrative structure featuring a handful of plot lines did not deter me from enjoying the production. When I first saw "CLASS OF '61", I was in the throes of an obsession for the U.S. Civil War. An obsession that has not abated with time, I might add. There is a possibility that due to this obsession, I may have viewed "CLASS OF '61" through rose-colored glasses when I first saw it. Do not get me wrong. I still managed to enjoy it. But due to the "sands of time", I have finally noticed the flaws.
"CLASS OF '61" has a great deal of virtues. Its biggest virtue seemed to be the cast. The television pilot featured many young players who would eventually become well known or major stars. Dan Futterman, an excellent character actor in his own right and a two-time Academy Award nominated screenwriter, gave a complex performance as Shelby Peyton. Clive Owen, who became a bigger star, gave an emotional performance as Devlin O'Neil, the Irish immigrant torn between his friendship with Peyton and his family's patriotism toward their new country. Andre Braugher was already somewhat known for his performance in the 1989 movie, "GLORY", when he shot this pilot. He eventually became a major television star and has received numerous nominations and won two Emmys for his work. Frankly, I thought he gave the best performance in the production as the embittered Virginia slave whose initial attempt to escape slavery would lead to him being apart from his wife and mother for several years.
The television movie also featured solid performances from the like of Josh Lucas (as George C. Custer) Dana Ivey, Penny Johnson, Sue-Ann Leeds (as Rose O'Neal Greenhow), Barry Cullison, Peter Murnik, Timothy Scott, Stephen Root, Christien Anholt and Andrew Stahl. However, I believe there were better supporting performances. One came from Sophie Ward, who gave a poignant performance as Devlin's sister Shannon. Beverly Todd was excellent as Lucius' pragmatic mother. Another came from future star Laura Linney, who portrayed the charming and charismatic Lily Magraw. Mark Pelligrino gave a very interesting performance as a fellow cadet from South Carolina named Skinner, especially in a scene in which the character provided off-putting instructions on how to breed healthy slaves to the discomfort of the Peytons. Robert Newman gave an intelligent performance as one of the main characters' West Point instructors who become a Union artillery officer, Captain Wykoff. Len Cariou was effective as Shelby's warm and intelligent father, Dr. Leland Peyton. Lorraine Toussaint shone brilliantly in her brief role as a slave woman named Sarah, who was accompanying her mistress on a southbound train also conveying Shelby had encountered on a southbound train from New York City. Niall O'Brien gave a very complex performance as Devlin and Shannon's emotionally patriotic father, James O'Neil.
The production values for "CLASS OF '61" struck me as solid, but not particularly top-notch. Although the movie's setting stretched from West Point, New York to the Peyton plantation outside of Richmond, Virginia; it was easy for me to see that the television movie was set in South Carolina and Georgia . . . in the Deep South. I have noticed that many of these productions with an Antebellum or Civil War setting are shot in the Deep South states, even the narratives are set in the Upper South. Has the Upper South been developed too extensively to serve as locations for such movies? I found Michael T. Boyd's costumes for the women characters very attractive and nearly accurate. However, I thought the men's costumes looked as if they had came straight from a costume warehouse in Hollywood.
Recently, I had come across an old review of "CLASS OF '61". The New York Times reviewer seemed to dismiss the production as a nostalgic television movie with a failed plot. He seemed unaware that the movie was basically a pilot for a potential television series. When I first saw the movie, I knew that this was basically a pilot. Which is why I was not that surprised that it ended with the Battle of Bull Run without any of the plot lines being resolved. As for "CLASS OF '61" being nostalgic . . . I am not sure about that criticism. Jonas McCord's narrative seemed to be a mixture of a straight forward look at how Americans behaved and spoke during this tumultuous period in 19th century American history and a slightly critical look at their society. And I found its portrayal of the Bull Run battle rather interesting and detailed. However, the television movie featured a good deal more criticism of Northern racism and the Abraham Lincoln Administration. Shelby's encounter with an abolitionist, a Maryland woman and her enslaved maid led to the latter's soliloquy about the racism she had encountered in New York City. And another scene featured Devlin revealing his family troubles to Lily Magraw and Rose Greenhow - namely brother Terry's incarceration inside Baltimore's Fort McHenry and how this led to his failure to being assigned to an Army regiment.
I must admit that I found it odd that McCord seemed to focus so much on the flaws of Northern society and the Lincoln's Administration . . . and not on the flaws of Confederate President Jefferson Davis' own administration. After all, the state of Virginia had lost its northwestern counties during the three-month period between Fort Sumter and Bull Run, due to its citizens breaking away from the state. Considering that Shelby's family lived in Virginia, I found it rather odd that western Virginia's break from the state was never mentioned. On the other hand, the series did focus a great deal on slavery. Although the Peyton family were portrayed as kind slave owners who almost treated their slaves as family, the movie still managed to portray their role in slavery as something to condemn - especially through Lucius' bitterness over being a slave, the patronizing manner of Dr. Peyton's kindness and Shelby's inability to understand Lucius' desire for freedom or lack of faith in the latter's ability to survive as a free man. I have noticed in many other productions about slavery during the Antebellum period or the Civil War, slave owners are either portrayed as kind or cruel . . . with no ambiguity in between. I must applaud McCord for his more ambiguous portrayal of Shelby and his family in regard to the slavery topic.
Were there aspects of "CLASS OF '61" that troubled me? Well . . . yes. There were a few things. When Devlin was first introduced to Rose Greenhow at her soirée, the latter revealed that she knew a great deal about him - including where his family lived and his ranking among the West Point Class of '61. I am sorry, but I found this hard to swallow. Was this McCord's idea of conveying Mrs. Greenhow's greatness as a spy? Why on earth would she have bothered to collect so much information on a recent West Point graduate who had ranked in the middle of his class? Seriously? Also in the movie, Mr. O'Neil had accused a visiting Shelby of joining a volunteer regiment called the Palmetto Guards. Earlier in the production, a cadet named Upton had accused the South Carolinian Skinner of doing the same right after the news of Sumter was announced. So I checked the Internet and discovered that "Palmetto Guards" was one of the nicknames for the 2nd South Carolina Infantry. I could understand Skinner being considered for this regiment. But why on earth would Mr. O'Neil accuse Shelby, a Virginian, of joining it? Unsurprisingly, "CLASS OF '61" had failed to be picked up as a series. But imagine my surprise to discover that McCord had added a brief epilogue to reveal the characters' fates. He must have been very bitter over the pilot's fate, because he had committed some kind of "Scorch Earth" policy on the characters. Only three or four of them had survived the war . . . and one of them was George Armstrong Custer. Worse, two of his characters died in a way that was historically impossible.
Ironically, my biggest problem with "CLASS OF '61" proved to be Shelby and Lucius' friendship. Now I realize that human beings are ambiguous creatures. And I am also aware that some complex friendships or relationships may have formed between slaves and the owners - especially relationships that began in childhood like Shelby and Lucius. But there were aspects of the pair's friendship that struck me as unrealistic. I found it unrealistic that Lucius would honestly express his bitterness over being a slave to Shelby, of all people. I also found it unrealistic that Lucius would tell Shelby about his lethal encounter with those slave catchers. The movie never portrayed Shelby as someone with pro-abolitionist leanings. And although he was friendly and familiar with his father's slaves, he also shared Dr. Peyton's patronizing attitude. It just seemed unnatural that Shelby would react with nothing more than mere surprise after Lucius had confessed to killing two slave catchers. I do not care how friendly he was with Lucius or any of the other Peyton slaves. He still harbored a good deal of his society's casual racism and I could not see him allowing Lucius to leave the plantation after that confession.
Even after twenty-six years, I still managed to enjoy "CLASS OF '61" Despite its flaws, the television movie managed to be an interesting and enjoying look into American society during the first three months of the U.S. Civil War. I thought Jonas McCord provided an interesting, yet inconclusive plot that showcased a first-rate cast starring Dan Futterman and Clive Owen. It is a pity that this pilot never became a series.
