Movie Spoiler
In a nice closeup shot from Griebe (who does excellent work on this film), The International opens up with Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) looking behind the camera while it rains outside. Two men meet at the Berlin Hauptbahnhof. Thomas Schumer (Ian Burfield) gets out of the car of IBBC Senior VP of Acquisitions André Clément (Georges Bigot) to make contact with Eleanor “Ella” Whitman (Naomi Watts) by phone. She works for the New York D.A. and updates her that he just met with Clément and that “he’s … real enough to blow this thing wide open”; his bank is buying $200M worth of missile guidance systems. He meets eyes with Louis across a busy street, grabs his arm, and suddenly keels over and dies. Louis runs to him, but gets knocked over by a moving vehicle. Louis sees a physician. Tom’s body is also there and the doctor confirms he died of a heart attack. Louis notices something strange, turns the body over, and discovers an insertion point on his back prompting him to theorize Schumer didn’t die of natural causes.
At the District Attorney’s Office, Ella (Naomi Watts) and the D.A. Arnie (James Rebhorn) argue over the means by which they will protect Louis. Louis informs them via phone that Tom is dead. At Berlin police headquarters, Louis, along with Ella, has difficulties convincing the authorities that Tom was poisoned. An expert informs Louis that based on the data, Tom would have to have been infected after departing the vehicle right before he died. Reluctantly, Ella shares that there is an ongoing investigation being conducted between the New York D.A.’s office and Interpol involving mafia activity and the Luxembourg International Bank of Business and Credit (IBBC), under the auspices of chairman Jonas Skarssen (Ulrich Thomsen). All but one of the German authorities leave the room. Ella and Louis share that Schumer met with an IBBC informant. When Salinger expresses a concern for the life of the informant, the authority calls him out on his shaky personal history and is non-compliant.
Ella confronts Louis on their ride to the Concord Hotel. In Lyon, France, he dunks his face into a sink of ice and recall’s the moments leading up to Thomas’ death. Wilhelm Wexler (Academy Award-nominee Armin Mueller-Stahl), who works for Skarssen meets The Consultant (Brían F. O’Byrne), a private assassin, in a museum. Wexler calls off an assignment involving Umberto Calvini (Luca Barbareschi), only to elicit his help in regrouping for another plan while observing a painting (at the 14:14 mark) that is probably famous, but I’m too ignorant to have familiarized myself with. “I like the look of agony, because I know it’s true,” says The Consultant. Louis surfs the internet and discovers information related to the death of IBBC executive Clément. At Lyon’s Interpol HQ, Viktor Haas (Michel Voletti) casually questions a young man bringing files to Louis. Louis shares with Haas that Skarssen lied about Clément’s whereabouts when he met with Schumer. When Louis expresses an interest in meeting with Skarssen, Haas encourages Louis away from taking the law into his own hands.
Louis visits IBBC headquarters in Luxembourg and Skarssen blows him off. He ends up meeting with legal counsel Martin White (Patrick Baladi) and Commissioner Villon (Laurent Spielvogel). White says that Clément arrived at Skarssen’s home at 6 PM before his death, which conflicts with Skarssen’s statement to the official report that has Clément's arrival at 10 AM. Villon informs him that the time was a clerical error possibly due to the preliminary nature of the report. Ella calls Louis to tell him the toxicology report on Schumer has now come up inconclusive. During a moment of paranoia, Louis grabs a French woman in a knit cap (Marita Hueber) who has just bumped into him thinking that he has been poisoned. At her home, while her son sleeps (Robert Salerno), Ella calls Clément’s wife who, fearing for her life, hangs up on her twice. After her husband Elliot sticks his head in, Ella receives a text on her Blackberry from Madame Clément’s phone, which results in Ella suggesting she contact Calvini. Louis visits Victor and finds a bug in his landline. They take a walk and Louis shows him a clipping of Calvini, an Italian defense contractor with political aspirations, whom Clément had a deal with to purchase arms, which fell apart at the last minute.
Calvini's Assassination
An unidentified person (who is The Consultant) shoots a bullet at a target and retrieves it for use later as a red herring during the assassination. A man collects a box from a florist in the middle of an Italian square and shares the box with an officer. At the Piazza Duca D’Aosta in Milan, Louis introduces Ella to Inspector Alberto Cerutti (Alessandro Fabrizi), who places them in an elevator. During the trip up, Ella expresses concern over Louis’ unkempt state and worries he’ll have a meltdown like he did a few years ago when another IBBC matter fell apart. He informs her of some suspicious circumstances involving the family of his witness, and that his mental instability wasn't entirely to blame. They meet with Calvini, who insists their conversation be kept private and off-the-record. He shares that the IBBC buys Vulcan guidance system from his company, with the only other competitor being a Turkish business owned by Ahmet Sunay (Haluk Bilginer). The IBBC buys small arms from China and resells them equipped with the guidance systems to clients in the Middle East with hopes of cornering that third-world market. “The IBBC is a bank. Their objective isn’t to control the conflict, it’s to control the debt that conflict produces.” He also shares that Clément was a good friend whom he trusted. Calvini leaves to make a speech during a political rally. A sniper (Giorgio Lupano) carefully times his death from a hotel room, as a guard (who may have been the officer earlier; I forgot to check) waits outside. He misses his first shot, but another off-camera assassin, The Consultant, kills him from the hotel rooftop, though it's not clear at the time. Pandemonium ensues. The guard with backup locates the assassin and kills him, but, the guard, probably working on his own, leaves the scene undetected, leaving the dummy bullet from earlier behind. An unidentified man, possibly the guard, runs Ella over. Louis chases after him on foot and ends up pulling his gun on an empty car.
General Charles Motomba (Lucian Msamati) meets with Jonas Skarssen over investment matters. Wexler and White calls Skarssen away to inform him of Calvini’s death, as well as reopening up negotiations with his sons Enzo (super hot Luca Calvani) and Mario (Gerolamo Fancellu). Louis waits for Ella outside of the hospital. During a car ride, Inspector Cerutti informs them that Calvani’s assassin will be officially announced as a member of The Red Brigade, though it's completely false. They travel to the murder site and conduct an ad hoc trajectory analysis, revealing a second shooter. On the rooftop, the assassination is recreated in flashback as Louis theorizes what may have happened. Ella brings up the absence of the third bullet in regards to the two casings that were found in the room of the first assassin. With some holy-fuck-state-of-the-art-yet-old-school equipment, they uncover a footprint on the roof where the second sniper may have been. Louis recognizes the footprint (!) from an investigation in Brussels the previous year. After a positive examination, they learn that they were made from a specialized leg brace and send the prints over to FBI for conclusive confirmation. The guard from the assassination shows up, who passes himself off as a captain, and gives Cerutti the third degree, and has Louis and Ella sent back to the U.S. At the airport, Ella figures out that the assassin’s leg brace would have gotten him a full scan at security point. With the assistance of the airport authorities, they find footage of The Consultant headed through security. They also get a name and destination, which places him in New York.
At New York Gym, The Consultant works out with his leg brace attached. At JFK, Louis and Ella meet Detectives Iggy Omelas (Felix Solis), Bernie Ward (Jack McGee), and Gloria Hubbard (Nilaja Sun) to discuss the assassin’s possible whereabouts. Omelas and Ward visit the orthopedic surgeon who works with the assassin, Dr. Isaacson (Tibor Feldman), at his home. D.A. Arnie reprimands Ella, who tells him how close they are to catching the assassin who could finger the IBBC. At his home, Skarssen plays a board game with his son Cassian (Benjamin Wandschneider). He takes a video conference call from his team who warn him Interpol and the D.A.’s office are snooping around and getting warmer. There’s a little disagreement with how they should proceed as they are nearing finalizing their deal and can’t risk exposure. Wexler, who expresses caution, is the minority voice. Skarssen seeks counsel from his son in Swedish.
At Isaacson’s office, the detectives siv through files for the identity of the assassin. Louis and the detectives investigate a lead that takes them to an empty lot. At a deli, Omelas spots The Consultant. Louis and the detectives follow him. The Consultant makes an appointment over the phone and travels to the Guggenheim. Louis and the detectives stake out the museum. Wexler meets the assassin and puts a hit on Louis. Omelas follows Wexler. Ward pulls a gun on The Consultant, but they are both hit by other shooters who suddenly appear with semiautomatic weapons, two of which The Consultant takes down, ironically saving Louis. The Consultant and Louis join forces, the latter of which takes a shot to the ear. More mayhem follows during a brilliantly shot multi-media scene in the Guggenheim. The Consultant takes a bad hit and almost dies, but Louis slaps him and threatens, “Don’t you fucking dare,” so, of course, he continues living until the escape to safety. Louis shoots down a chandelier which falls on some of the shooters. There’s a funny moment involving a phone and some youngsters, and Louis manages to escort The Consultant out of the museum to Central Park, where he finally dies by the reservoir while it faintly snows. His final words: “I told you … they’d never let you bring me in.” (I don't remember him saying that.) This was Louis’ break in the case and he was now dead.
Ella visits Louis at the 8th Precinct. Hubbard gives her some time with him before he faces questioning from authorities. She informs him there’s work to do still, hands him a file, and they get in her car and leave, narrowly escaping the authorities. She takes him to Al Moody’s (Steven Randazzo), where they’re greeted by Omelas. Wexler is there to meet with Louis, who has turned on the IBBC after ordering the last-minute hit on The Consultant. “There is a difference between truth and fiction. Fiction is to make sense,” says Wexler, who is revealed to be a hardline communist. He gives a speech on idealism and the cynical necessity of banks. Louis sends Ella away, because, this time, he wants to go rogue to bring down the IBBC. No more by-the-book antic tied up in red-tape.
Off the coast of Lago Iseo, Italy, at Calvini Defense, the sons aren’t punctual and White is requested with his team to be escorted out of the boardroom at the behest of Louis. White places a call to Skarssen in his vehicle, who informs him that the jig is up. In a panoramic coastal shot, White’s car, along with his chauffeur, disappears in a tunnel. Skarssen and his men watch violence break out in Niberia on the news. Wexler shows up announcing that White is nowhere to be found. They discuss selling to Sunay, whose biggest client is Israel. Wexler shares Sunay’s duplicitous nature of selling the Vulcan technology to Skarssen and the capability to defeat it to Israel. Wexler schedules a meeting between Sunay and Skarssen in Istanbul. Sunay arrives for a funeral and meets with Skarssen and Wexler, who has helped Louis record the discussions. Guards take down Louis during surveillance, pulling him away from the conservation between Sunay and Skarssen. Skarssen informs Sunay he knows about his ill dealings, but they agree to do business anyway. Skarssen comes across Wexler’s body, who has been killed. Louis approaches Wexler, grabs his gun, and follows Skarssen to the top of a roof, in a scene reminiscent of such Hitchcock films as Vertigo and To Catch a Thief. Louis corners him and pulls out Wexler's gun. An assassin hired by the Calvini sons helps Louis execute Skarssen. Roll credits.
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| Nothing gets between me and my Calvani |
At New York Gym, The Consultant works out with his leg brace attached. At JFK, Louis and Ella meet Detectives Iggy Omelas (Felix Solis), Bernie Ward (Jack McGee), and Gloria Hubbard (Nilaja Sun) to discuss the assassin’s possible whereabouts. Omelas and Ward visit the orthopedic surgeon who works with the assassin, Dr. Isaacson (Tibor Feldman), at his home. D.A. Arnie reprimands Ella, who tells him how close they are to catching the assassin who could finger the IBBC. At his home, Skarssen plays a board game with his son Cassian (Benjamin Wandschneider). He takes a video conference call from his team who warn him Interpol and the D.A.’s office are snooping around and getting warmer. There’s a little disagreement with how they should proceed as they are nearing finalizing their deal and can’t risk exposure. Wexler, who expresses caution, is the minority voice. Skarssen seeks counsel from his son in Swedish.
At Isaacson’s office, the detectives siv through files for the identity of the assassin. Louis and the detectives investigate a lead that takes them to an empty lot. At a deli, Omelas spots The Consultant. Louis and the detectives follow him. The Consultant makes an appointment over the phone and travels to the Guggenheim. Louis and the detectives stake out the museum. Wexler meets the assassin and puts a hit on Louis. Omelas follows Wexler. Ward pulls a gun on The Consultant, but they are both hit by other shooters who suddenly appear with semiautomatic weapons, two of which The Consultant takes down, ironically saving Louis. The Consultant and Louis join forces, the latter of which takes a shot to the ear. More mayhem follows during a brilliantly shot multi-media scene in the Guggenheim. The Consultant takes a bad hit and almost dies, but Louis slaps him and threatens, “Don’t you fucking dare,” so, of course, he continues living until the escape to safety. Louis shoots down a chandelier which falls on some of the shooters. There’s a funny moment involving a phone and some youngsters, and Louis manages to escort The Consultant out of the museum to Central Park, where he finally dies by the reservoir while it faintly snows. His final words: “I told you … they’d never let you bring me in.” (I don't remember him saying that.) This was Louis’ break in the case and he was now dead.
Ella visits Louis at the 8th Precinct. Hubbard gives her some time with him before he faces questioning from authorities. She informs him there’s work to do still, hands him a file, and they get in her car and leave, narrowly escaping the authorities. She takes him to Al Moody’s (Steven Randazzo), where they’re greeted by Omelas. Wexler is there to meet with Louis, who has turned on the IBBC after ordering the last-minute hit on The Consultant. “There is a difference between truth and fiction. Fiction is to make sense,” says Wexler, who is revealed to be a hardline communist. He gives a speech on idealism and the cynical necessity of banks. Louis sends Ella away, because, this time, he wants to go rogue to bring down the IBBC. No more by-the-book antic tied up in red-tape.
Off the coast of Lago Iseo, Italy, at Calvini Defense, the sons aren’t punctual and White is requested with his team to be escorted out of the boardroom at the behest of Louis. White places a call to Skarssen in his vehicle, who informs him that the jig is up. In a panoramic coastal shot, White’s car, along with his chauffeur, disappears in a tunnel. Skarssen and his men watch violence break out in Niberia on the news. Wexler shows up announcing that White is nowhere to be found. They discuss selling to Sunay, whose biggest client is Israel. Wexler shares Sunay’s duplicitous nature of selling the Vulcan technology to Skarssen and the capability to defeat it to Israel. Wexler schedules a meeting between Sunay and Skarssen in Istanbul. Sunay arrives for a funeral and meets with Skarssen and Wexler, who has helped Louis record the discussions. Guards take down Louis during surveillance, pulling him away from the conservation between Sunay and Skarssen. Skarssen informs Sunay he knows about his ill dealings, but they agree to do business anyway. Skarssen comes across Wexler’s body, who has been killed. Louis approaches Wexler, grabs his gun, and follows Skarssen to the top of a roof, in a scene reminiscent of such Hitchcock films as Vertigo and To Catch a Thief. Louis corners him and pulls out Wexler's gun. An assassin hired by the Calvini sons helps Louis execute Skarssen. Roll credits.
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