(no subject)
So apparently I really can't watch a single thing without slashing two characters together.
Spoilers for The International within.
The first time I actually heard about The International was when we went to see Frost/Nixon. It looked pretty interesting from the snippets we saw in the pre-show: I liked the idea of a bank controlling politics and terror and people's lives. The fact that it included Clive Owen and Naomi Watts in its cast really caught my attention as well (I like the two of them, and Clive in particular). So I thought we may as well give it a go.
We saw it tonight, and I'll admit this upfront - I didn't really understand a lot of it. Maybe I haven't seen a semi-thinky movie in a while, and as such have lost my ability to connect the dots as we go, but for most of it I couldn't see the connections. It didn't help that most of the antagonists' names weren't given, so I couldn't remember who they all were or whose side they were on. Like a lot of films these days, I'll probably have to rewatch the film to see how everything ties together; not that I'd mind. It was quite entertaining.
In terms of technical aspects, I was impressed with what I saw. There were many wide shots, with only one character in view, giving a lovely sense of lonliness to many of the scenes. As well as this, there were quite a few wonderful recurring technical elements; sound was used well, with the high-pitched ringing and ticking stopwatch really helping to get into the moment. I truly loved the opening scene - somewhat minimalistic, but effective.
However, at some points the film seemed to drag, feeling like it was taking too long to wrap up the lose ends, and, like I said earlier, the story seemed difficult to follow at parts (but as I said, a rewatch may resolve that problem). When things did wrap up, however, they were satisfactory; the end, now that I realise exactly what happened, is quite good, although I would have liked to have seen what would have happened if the assassin didn't kill Skarssen - would Salinger have stepped up, and sacrificed his ideals to achieve his brand of justice?
I think what I liked most about this film is the themes you can see in it. I adored Salinger's paranoia, how he was a man that pushed himself to the edge of losing himself in his pursuit of justice. Redemption was also featued, which pleased me, as redemption is a favourite theme of mine. I also liked simply the theme of justice - how the different characters had different perceptions of it, based off their own life experiences, and the ideas of how far a man will go to achieve it, how much of himself he'll be willing to sacrifice to see it done.
And now ... onto the shallow side of things. Clive Owen's been a favourite of mine since I first saw him in The Bourne Identity, and I always enjoy seeing him in a leading, heroic role. I liked him here. I liked the desperate, suspicious nature he brought to Salinger; he looked like a man who would go to the ends of the earth to bring down this particular bank. Naomi Watts was also good in her supporting role, playing the woman who does want to see justice delievered, but at the same time knows her limits, and knows what she isn't willing to give up to achieve her goals. Most of the antagonists weren't particularly developed, but the ones who were did draw emotions from you - Mr White, the lawyer (anger towards), Wexler (pity at his fall from grace), Skarssen (dislike, just from the general person he happened to be).
And then there was The Consultant, the film's resident contract killer. I liked the fact that he "didn't look like much" - it was a nice change to see an assassin who didn't look like he'd just stepped off the page of a fashion magazine. I also liked the fact that he had this prosthetic foot. That seemed to ground him, in a way, make him human; he was able to be hurt. But what made me love him was the scene in the Guggenheim Museum, which I will fangirl about later. When told by Wexler that he had to kill Salinger, he looked surprised, like he genuinely didn't see why, or didn't want to. I loved the fact that he had a bullet-proof vest on, and that he then teamed up with Salinger, was concerned for his wellbeing, and proceeded to shoot his way out of the musuem.
Okay, so one of my major story/theme/character kinks? Is when two characters, previously on opposite sides, team up and then kick arse together. When they seem to be concerned for each other's wellbeing, despite not knowing each other at all, that adds another level to my love. When one is an idealistic, justice-supporting individual and the other is an experienced contract killer? I'm in fucking heaven. Seriously. I could have watched a whole movie where it's just Salinger and The Consultant running around, getting into all sorts of trouble and then dragging each other out of it. I really, truly could. I was a little heartbroken when The Consultant was subsequently shot and killed, but I had a feeling it would happen.
Seriously, though? (And this is the kind of strange part.) I'm shipping Salinger/The Consultant so hard right now. I can't even explain why. They're just in my head, killing and bleeding and saving each other's arses and doing nasty things to each other. It's bizaare. I can't tell you how tempted I am right now to just write fic for them, even if it turns out to be semi-fantastical fic where The Consultant is like, able to heal himself or something. I WANT TO WRITE IT LIKE MAD, AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY. ARGH.
Anyway. The Guggenheim Museum shootout. FUCKING. OWNED. In retrospect it's quite simply done, no bullet time or crazy, jaw-dropping amazing stunts, but I think that's why I liked it so much. It was real. It felt like it could be done in this universe, not one where the bullets never hit the heroes and the badguys are taken down with one shot each. That, and the fact that now I've actually been to the Guggenheim, and I could sit there grinning like an idiot because "I've been there! I've walked where Clive Owen has walked! :D" It was fun, though, all that aside. My new mission is to find the whole thing on the internet, and then proceed to drool over it.
So, overall? I definitely enjoyed The International; it had great action sequences, amazing shots and locations, and good thriller/espionage elements. I will absolutely have to watch it again, so I can pay proper attention and catch all the plotlines and how they tie together, but I did like the film. The acting was well done, and the characters likable. But I will definitely have to have a rewatch before I can make any further comment on story or length or other such aspects of the film.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
Would watch again.
(I'm thinking maybe I should have a different system for rating, or some kind of scaling? Because it's hard to rate serious films like Frost/Nixon, or The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, on the same scale as films like this or Underworld. They're just not in the same boat. Or maybe I should rate them all on the same scale, to keep from becoming one of those elitist film viewers? I don't know. I'm just getting sick of rating everything 3.5 out of 5. Perhaps at the moment nothing's really blowing my mind. :/)
Spoilers for The International within.
The first time I actually heard about The International was when we went to see Frost/Nixon. It looked pretty interesting from the snippets we saw in the pre-show: I liked the idea of a bank controlling politics and terror and people's lives. The fact that it included Clive Owen and Naomi Watts in its cast really caught my attention as well (I like the two of them, and Clive in particular). So I thought we may as well give it a go.
We saw it tonight, and I'll admit this upfront - I didn't really understand a lot of it. Maybe I haven't seen a semi-thinky movie in a while, and as such have lost my ability to connect the dots as we go, but for most of it I couldn't see the connections. It didn't help that most of the antagonists' names weren't given, so I couldn't remember who they all were or whose side they were on. Like a lot of films these days, I'll probably have to rewatch the film to see how everything ties together; not that I'd mind. It was quite entertaining.
In terms of technical aspects, I was impressed with what I saw. There were many wide shots, with only one character in view, giving a lovely sense of lonliness to many of the scenes. As well as this, there were quite a few wonderful recurring technical elements; sound was used well, with the high-pitched ringing and ticking stopwatch really helping to get into the moment. I truly loved the opening scene - somewhat minimalistic, but effective.
However, at some points the film seemed to drag, feeling like it was taking too long to wrap up the lose ends, and, like I said earlier, the story seemed difficult to follow at parts (but as I said, a rewatch may resolve that problem). When things did wrap up, however, they were satisfactory; the end, now that I realise exactly what happened, is quite good, although I would have liked to have seen what would have happened if the assassin didn't kill Skarssen - would Salinger have stepped up, and sacrificed his ideals to achieve his brand of justice?
I think what I liked most about this film is the themes you can see in it. I adored Salinger's paranoia, how he was a man that pushed himself to the edge of losing himself in his pursuit of justice. Redemption was also featued, which pleased me, as redemption is a favourite theme of mine. I also liked simply the theme of justice - how the different characters had different perceptions of it, based off their own life experiences, and the ideas of how far a man will go to achieve it, how much of himself he'll be willing to sacrifice to see it done.
And now ... onto the shallow side of things. Clive Owen's been a favourite of mine since I first saw him in The Bourne Identity, and I always enjoy seeing him in a leading, heroic role. I liked him here. I liked the desperate, suspicious nature he brought to Salinger; he looked like a man who would go to the ends of the earth to bring down this particular bank. Naomi Watts was also good in her supporting role, playing the woman who does want to see justice delievered, but at the same time knows her limits, and knows what she isn't willing to give up to achieve her goals. Most of the antagonists weren't particularly developed, but the ones who were did draw emotions from you - Mr White, the lawyer (anger towards), Wexler (pity at his fall from grace), Skarssen (dislike, just from the general person he happened to be).
And then there was The Consultant, the film's resident contract killer. I liked the fact that he "didn't look like much" - it was a nice change to see an assassin who didn't look like he'd just stepped off the page of a fashion magazine. I also liked the fact that he had this prosthetic foot. That seemed to ground him, in a way, make him human; he was able to be hurt. But what made me love him was the scene in the Guggenheim Museum, which I will fangirl about later. When told by Wexler that he had to kill Salinger, he looked surprised, like he genuinely didn't see why, or didn't want to. I loved the fact that he had a bullet-proof vest on, and that he then teamed up with Salinger, was concerned for his wellbeing, and proceeded to shoot his way out of the musuem.
Okay, so one of my major story/theme/character kinks? Is when two characters, previously on opposite sides, team up and then kick arse together. When they seem to be concerned for each other's wellbeing, despite not knowing each other at all, that adds another level to my love. When one is an idealistic, justice-supporting individual and the other is an experienced contract killer? I'm in fucking heaven. Seriously. I could have watched a whole movie where it's just Salinger and The Consultant running around, getting into all sorts of trouble and then dragging each other out of it. I really, truly could. I was a little heartbroken when The Consultant was subsequently shot and killed, but I had a feeling it would happen.
Seriously, though? (And this is the kind of strange part.) I'm shipping Salinger/The Consultant so hard right now. I can't even explain why. They're just in my head, killing and bleeding and saving each other's arses and doing nasty things to each other. It's bizaare. I can't tell you how tempted I am right now to just write fic for them, even if it turns out to be semi-fantastical fic where The Consultant is like, able to heal himself or something. I WANT TO WRITE IT LIKE MAD, AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY. ARGH.
Anyway. The Guggenheim Museum shootout. FUCKING. OWNED. In retrospect it's quite simply done, no bullet time or crazy, jaw-dropping amazing stunts, but I think that's why I liked it so much. It was real. It felt like it could be done in this universe, not one where the bullets never hit the heroes and the badguys are taken down with one shot each. That, and the fact that now I've actually been to the Guggenheim, and I could sit there grinning like an idiot because "I've been there! I've walked where Clive Owen has walked! :D" It was fun, though, all that aside. My new mission is to find the whole thing on the internet, and then proceed to drool over it.
So, overall? I definitely enjoyed The International; it had great action sequences, amazing shots and locations, and good thriller/espionage elements. I will absolutely have to watch it again, so I can pay proper attention and catch all the plotlines and how they tie together, but I did like the film. The acting was well done, and the characters likable. But I will definitely have to have a rewatch before I can make any further comment on story or length or other such aspects of the film.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
Would watch again.
(I'm thinking maybe I should have a different system for rating, or some kind of scaling? Because it's hard to rate serious films like Frost/Nixon, or The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, on the same scale as films like this or Underworld. They're just not in the same boat. Or maybe I should rate them all on the same scale, to keep from becoming one of those elitist film viewers? I don't know. I'm just getting sick of rating everything 3.5 out of 5. Perhaps at the moment nothing's really blowing my mind. :/)