Review: Walking Briskly While Concerned (Taken and The International)

Ok bear with me, last week I saw “Gomarrah,” a film about the terrifying mafia organization, the Camorra, based in Naples.  Shattering the mob movie mold instituted by Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, the film is devoid of all the glorifying gangster standards and is an incendiary look at the horrific reality of the mafia.  Or that’s what it would have been if I was able to follow it.  I went in so ignorant of the situation being depicted I could barely keep up with what was happening.  It was quite embarrassing watching a film with no exposition or contextualization, practices I have recently praised in reviews of “The Class” and “Medicine For Melancholy,” and wish for some more hand holding.  I couldn’t bring myself to write a review (though I can’t say I enjoyed myself) because I didn’t think I could discuss it intelligently.  I just simply, didn’t get it.

Well, there’s nothing like a bland Hollywood thriller to reassure wounded cinematic intellect.  “The International” is only the second Bourne imitation to hit theatres in the past month, the ridiculous “Taken” being the other.  They’re basically the same film, “The International” is more in the globe trotting political vein while “Taken” is strictly fixed in ass-kicking mode.  Each is anchored by proven leading men.  Clive Owen and Liam Neeson both capably talk sternly into their phones and walk briskly while down the street with appropriate concern (some times both at once).  And their objectives, one retrieving his kidnapped daughter, the other trying to expose a corrupt bank are treated with interchangeable importance.

The biggest difference is “The International” had a much bigger budget.  So does that make it superior?  Let’s compare the film’s finer points.  “The International” includes more helicopter shots of large buildings and sets that look like a tour of the nation’s apple stores.  In comparison “Taken” seems to be set in a series of Verizon outlets.  “The International” could also afford a female lead, regardless of whether it needed one.  Naomi Watts stands around looking likes she’s reading her lines for the first time off a teleprompter.  For someone so incredibly talented she has some brutal scenes.  The closest thing “Taken” has to a major female character is Maggie Grace, who’s biggest claim to fame is a role on “Lost” that was killed off after a season (sorry Maggie but they had the right idea).  25 playing 17, she gives one the most annoying performances I’ve seen in awhile.  Thankfully the film is about her being “Taken,” I just wish she had stayed that way.  “The International” also affords a superior supporting cast.  It’s impressive array of well dressed European businessmen and New York cops (notably a strong turn by Felix Solis in a throwaway role) are an upgrade over the bloody and bruised Albanians.

Now the important stuff.  In terms of action “The International” had the funds for an true set piece and on that front it delivers.  The sequence, set in the Guggenheim, is mildly preposterous.   You’d think there’d be some police on the Upper East Side (then again you’d also think a hired gun would know how to use one).  The building’s spiral design in creatively utilized and things are kept simple, guns, knives and no wire-aided feats.  Instead of isolated action sequences “Taken” maintains a constant stream of smaller fight scenes.  Liam Neeson basically beats the crap out of every person he sees.  Luckily they all happen to be Albanian human traffickers.  I shudder to think what happens when he goes to Trader Joe’s, think of the massacre.

There are much similarities concerning the directors as well. Both are foreign, International’s Tykwer is German, Taken’s Pierre Morel, French.  Both made well received films in their own country.  Tykwer’s “Run Lola Run” is still an elitist dorm room mainstay and Morel’s “Disctrict B13” was a refreshingly inventive action film that employed free-running before Martin Campbell used it in “Casino Royale’s” fantastic opening number (almost as good as Hugh Jackman’s).  Here, each takes a step back.  Morel has more of a future I think.  He seems to do the action thing well, it’d be nice if he were given more leash instead of being forced to watch the Bourne trilogy and then mimic it.  Tykwer was already a red flag in my book and “The International,” while completely watchable, did nothing to remove it.  His previous film “Perfume” was obscene, and by obscene I mean bordering on pornographic and not in the good way.

Though it was much more graceful, all the bells and whistles on the “The International” are just that.  “Taken” is a poor man’s version of the same film.  I say watch “The Bourne Ultimatum” again.  And again.  And again.  Until The Bourne Domination, or whatever, comes out.  If you must, check out these serviceable impostors.  They’re good for a trash fix.  Probably not as good the fix I’m about to get though.  “10,000 BC” just started on HBO, I should probably watch Antonioni’s “L’Ecplise” which is sitting on my on my blu-ray but I don’t think I can resist.  This is going to be good.