THE INTERNATIONAL
RYAN: New in theaters today we have “The International” starring your boyfriend, Clive Owen.
CAROLINE: He is so dreamy. And I’m here to say this is the first great movie of 2009.
RYAN: It’s a really smart film that has some fantastic action scenes. You definitely have to pay attention though because it moves quickly. You could easily lose track of the plot and get confused.
CAROLINE: I definitely did at the end. But I was proud of myself for following the plot very well for most of the film. Any time I felt my mind wandering, I was like, “Pay attention! You’re missing something!” You really have to focus.
RYAN: I have one major bone to pick, which is that Clive Owen and Naomi Watts co-star but there’s no love story. Her character is married and she doesn’t cheat; thus, we didn’t get to see them smooch even once.
CAROLINE: I wanted to see that too; but it would have done nothing for the story, so I’m glad they didn’t go there.
RYAN: They really didn’t have any romantic tension at all.
CAROLINE: I know, and you just assume they’ll have a love scene because they’re two big stars. Meanwhile, Naomi’s part isn’t even that big. It really could have been played by any actress. I’m almost surprised someone of her caliber took this role.
RYAN: I did not think she was that great in this. She’s been amazing in some films, but this isn’t one of them. Some of her delivery was so wooden I was like, “Wow, she just got out of high school acting class.”
CAROLINE: She does a great American accent though. She looks good too, and I appreciate her lack of Botox.
RYAN: One of the most brilliant things about the film is its locations. They completely recreated the Guggenheim Museum for one shoot-out scene, and it’s incredible.
CAROLINE: That was the best scene in the movie. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The movie covers a lot of ground, moving from country to country, and there are a lot of great scenic helicopter shots.
RYAN: It got a little violent at times. It wasn’t torturous, but there were a few really bloody shoot-em-up-style moments.
CAROLINE: It’s a dramatic, intense flick for sure. And you never knew when the intensity was going to pick up, so every time it did, it was a surprise. I flagged a little in the last 20 minutes, so I could have stood it being a few minutes shorter; but mostly I was sitting there thinking, “This movie is amazing!” It’s gripping; and by that I mean I was gripping your arm half the time.
RYAN: Indeed you were. And the two Italian sons in the film were two of the most gorgeous men ever to grace the silver screen.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: I think almost anyone would enjoy this movie, as long as you can handle a little violence. I’m a little surprised by its February release date because it seems like a higher caliber film than usual for this time of year. It’s directed by Tom Tykwer, who did “Run Lola Run.”
RYAN: Honey, I’ll take a good movie any time of year, but it’s definitely refreshing to have one in February.
CAROLINE: And it’s great to see Clive Owen at the top of his game as usual.
RYAN: Don’t miss this one!
— RATING —
