"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.
"KING KONG" (2005) ReviewSeveral years ago, producer-director Peter Jackson had stated in an interview that one of movies that had inspired him to become a filmmaker was Merian C. Cooper's 1933 hit adventure film, "KING KONG". Sixteen to eighteen years after his first directorial effort, Jackson was finally able to pay tribute to his inspiration with a remake of the 1933 film.Anyone familiar with Cooper's film should know the story of King Kong. Set during the early years of the Great Depression, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and the crew of a freighter ship to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who becomes immediately smitten with the producer's financially struggling leading lady. After using his leading lady to lure Kong into a trap, the producer ships Kong back to Manhattan to be displayed to the public as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Unfortunately, Kong escapes and inflicts chaos on the city streets in search for the leading lady.Jackson and his co-screenwriters, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens pretty much followed the 1933 movie. However, they made some changes. In the 1933 film, Carl Denham was a respected and successful filmmaker. He was a struggling filmmaker who resorted to stealing footage of his film from his financial backers in Jackson's version. There is more backstory on the Ann Darrow character in the newer film and she is a vaudeville dancer/comedian, not simply a unemployed and starving woman. Ann remains frightened of Kong throughout the entire 1933 film (an emotion that actress Fay Wray did not share); whereas Naomi Watts' Ann forms an emotional bond with him. The inhabitants of Skull Island are a lot more hostile in the 2005 film, and less human. Kong is portrayed as simply an animal and less of a monster. Jack Driscoll is a playwright hired as a screenwriter in this film, whereas in the '33 film, he is the S.S. Venture's first mate. And in Jackson's film, the first mate is an African-American. The 2005 Captain Englehorn is at least fifteen to twenty years than his 1933 counterpart. Kong's rampage across Manhattan was a lot more horrific than his rampage in the 2005 film. The character of actor Bruce Baxter was created as a homage to actor Bruce Cabot, one of the stars of the 1933 film. And it is he, along with Denham and some actress hired to impersonate Ann that ends up on the stage with Kong in Jackson's film. In Cooper's film, both Ann and Driscoll end up on stage with Denham and Kong.So, what did I think of Jackson's "KING KONG"? Technically and visually, it is a beautiful film. One of the first things that impressed me was Grant Major's production designs for the movie. His work, along with the art direction team led by Dan Hannah, Hannah and Simon Bright's set decorations and Andrew Lesnine's photography did an excellent job in re-creating Manhattan of the early 1930s. And what I found even more amazing about their work is that all of the Manhattan sequences were filmed in New Zealand . . . even the opening montage that introduced the movie's time period and its leading female character. Terry Ryan's costume designs for the movie were attractive to look at. But if I must be honest, they did not particularly blow my mind. I really cannot explain why. It seemed as if her costumes - especially for the female characters - failed to achieve that early 1930s look, one hundred percent. I was also impressed by work of both the art department and the visual effects team. Their work on the Skull Island sequences struck me as impressive. But honestly, I was more impressed by their work on the Manhattan scenes . . . especially the sequence featuring King Kong's confrontation with the U.S. Army planes. And here are two samples of their work:
My only quibble about the visual work in the Manhattan sequences featured the S.S. Venture's depature from Manhattan. Frankly, it looked like the work of an amateur, circa 1929. Why on earth did Jackson allowed the ship to leave New York Harbor at double speed? It looked so tacky.Jackson, Walsh and Boyens did a pretty good job in re-creating Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace's story. In fact, I believe they had improved on some aspects of the 1933 film. One, the Ann Darrow character was given more of a background and more screen time before the S.S. Venture's journey to Skull Island. I could say the same for the Carl Denham character, who proved to be a more ambiguous character than his 1933 counterpart. Due to the depth given to both Ann and Denham's characters, the setup for the S.S. Venture's departure from Manhattan seemed more detailed and far from rushed. The movie spent a good deal of time aboard the S.S. Venture, building up suspense to the ship's arrival at Skull Island and allowing relationships and the characters to develop - especially Ann's romance with playwright/screenwriter Jack Driscoll. I wonder if many moviegoers had complained about the length it took the Venture to reach Skull Island. I certainly did not. The longer the movie focused on the Venture sequences, the longer it took the movie to reach Skull Island.Because . . . honestly? I disliked the Skull Island sequences. I was able to bear it in the 1933 film. But I cannot say the same for Jackson's film. There were some scenes in the Skull Island sequence that I liked. I enjoyed the chase sequence featured members of the Venture crew, Denham's film production and a Venatosaurus saevidicus pack's hunt of Brontosaurus baxteri. I even tolerated Kong's rescue of Ann from three Vastatosaurus rex. And I was impressed by the scene that featured Ann and Kong's initial bonding. I found it both touching and slightly humorous. And I could see that the screenwriters, along with Naomi Watts and Fay Wray (who portrayed the original Ann) understood Kong's feelings for the leading lady a lot better than Cooper and Wallace did. But I still disliked the Skull Island sequence - especially the scenes featuring Denham's film crew's encounter with the island's natives and the visitors' enounter with giant insects inside a large pit. The natives seemed more like Orc rejects from Middlearth with very little humanity. Despite the coconut bras and bone jewelry, the natives featured in the 1933 film struck me as a lot more human and less like savage stereotypes. As for the giant insect pit sequence . . . I usually press the fast-forward button for that scene. I not only dislike it, I find it repulsive.Fortunately, the movie returned to Manhattan. And I noticed that for the first minutes or so, Jackson re-created Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's introduction of Kong to the people of Manhattan. I was impressed. In fact, I found this second Manhattan sequence very impressive . . . but not as much as I did the earlier one. Granted, Bruce Baxter's quick departure from the theater following Kong's escape provided some laughs. And Jackson handled Kong's rampage of Manhattan rather well. I was a little disappointed that Jackson did not re-create the elevated train sequence from the first film. I was stunned by the sight of Ann searching the streets of Manhattan for Kong wearing nothing but her costume from a stage musical in the middle of winter. Hell, I was amazed that she managed to not to get pnemonia from wandering around the city with no overcoat and no sleeves for her gown. And frankly, I found Ann and Kong's reunion in Central Park something of a bore. I truly wish that Jackson had cut that scene. As for the Empire State Building sequence, once again, Naomi Watt's Ann did not seemed to be affected by the cold weather, while wearing nothing but a costume gown. And I noticed that Jackson plagerized Gandalf's death in "LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING" for Kong's final death scene. I felt nothing but a little relief because the U.S. Army Air Corp's attempt to kill Kong seemed to last forever.The cast of "KING KONG" seemed to fare very well, despite some of the mediocre lines written by Jackson, Walsh and Boyens. Thomas Kretschmann's portrayal of the pragmatic and cynical Captain Englehorn struck me as very skillful and effective. Both Evan Parke and Jamie Bell provided some well-acted pathos as First Mate Ben Hayes and a young crewman named Jimmy, for whom Hayes seemed to act as mentor. Adrien Brody provided a nice balance of romance, heroics and cynicism in his portrayal of writer Jack Driscoll. Actually, I thought he made a more interesting leading man than Bruce Cabot. And Colin Hanks' solid portrayal of Preston, Denham's neurotic but honest personal assistant, proved to be the movie's emotional backbone. But there were the performances that really stood out for me.Andy Serkis, who had impressed the world with his portrayal of Gollum in the "LORD OF THE RINGS" movies, proved to be equally impressive in his motion capture performance as Kong. Not only was he solid as the S.S. Venture cook, Lumpy; he did an excellent job in providing Kong with a great deal of emotional nuances. Kyle Chandler nearly stole the film with his hilarious portryal of movie actor Bruce Baxter. Not only was Chandler's Baxter egotistical and self-involved, he also proved to be a surprisingly pragmatic character with a talent for self-preservation. He also provided, in my opinion, one of the film's best quotes:"Hey, pal. Hey, wake up. Heroes don't look like me - not in the real world. In th real world they got bad teeth, a bald spot, and a beer gut. I'm just an actor with a gun who's lost his motivation. Be seeing you."Jack Black gave a superb job as movie producer Carl Denham. In fact, I believe that Black's Denham proved to be the film's most ambiguous character. Even though his Denham seemed manipulative, greedy and exploitive; he also managed to bring out the character's compassionate side and enthusiasm for his profession. It seemed a pity that Black never received any acclaim for his performance. Many moviegoers and critics seemed disappointed that Naomi Watts did not receive a Golden Globes or Academy Awards nomination for her excellent portrayal of out-of-luck vaudevillian Ann Darrow. Frankly, I think she deserved such nominations for her work. More than any other member of the cast, she had to develop an emotional bond and work with an animated figure and at the same time, develop her own character. And she did one hell of a job. Think Bob Hoskins in 1988's "WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?"."KING KONG" has become a highly regarded film over the years. It made "Empire" magazine's 2008 list of the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. Do I agree with this assessment? Hmmm . . . no. Not really. It is a very entertaining film filled with plenty of action and adventure. It also featured some pretty damn good acting from a cast led by Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Andy Serkis. But the movie also possesses some pretty obvious flaws and I find it difficult to enjoy the Skull Island sequence. Like I said, Jackson had created a pretty good movie. But I could never regard it as one of the greatest movies of all time . . . or a personal favorite of mine.
