The International 2009

In the opening scenes of the film, Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) stands drenched in the Berlin rain, his piercing gaze fixed on a moment of truth across the street. His partner Thomas Schumer (Ian Burfield) meets with André Clement (Georges Bigot), a pivotal player in the global game of power and finance, inside a car whose windows remain stubbornly shut despite the torrential downpour. As they engage in hushed conversation, the air thickens with tension as Clement reveals the International Bank of Business & Credit’s (IBBC) plan to procure missiles from China, a deal that could have far-reaching consequences.

The two men smoke cigarettes, their nervous energy palpable as they navigate the high-stakes world of international finance. Clement’s resolve remains unyielding, refusing to yield to Schumer’s pleas to turn against the bank. The meeting concludes with Clement disappearing into the night, leaving Schumer to ponder his next move. As he steps out onto the wet pavement, Schumer’s phone call reveals his excitement at having secured Clement as a potential informant, and the prospect of taking down the IBBC sends a thrill through his veins.

But before Schumer can savor his triumph, fate intervenes in a brutal display of violence. He doubles over in agony, clutching at his arm as if trying to hold back a tide of blood. His body crashes to the ground, and all around him, people hurry about their daily business, oblivious to the tragedy unfolding before their eyes.

Meanwhile, Salinger rushes across the busy street, his attention fixed on Schumer’s plight. But in a shocking turn of events, he’s struck by a side-view mirror from a passing panel van, leaving him dazed and disoriented. As he struggles to regain his footing, he’s met with an unsettling sight: Schumer’s lifeless eyes staring up at him, their connection severed by the brutal hand of fate.

As a doctor’s orders dictate, Salinger is confined to a hospital bed, but his mind is elsewhere, fixated on unraveling the mystery of Schumer’s demise. Despite initial reluctance, he requests a glimpse of Schumer’s lifeless form, prompting a somber trip to the morgue where he scrutinizes every inch of the deceased journalist’s body. The coroner’s report hints at a fatal heart attack, yet Salinger remains unconvinced, driven by an insatiable curiosity that ultimately leads him to uncover a hidden lesion on Schumer’s back. This revelation sparks a chain reaction, as Salinger demands a full autopsy and requests District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) to join him in Berlin.

Meanwhile, in New York, Whitman’s office is left scrambling when attempts to contact Schumer yield nothing but silence. It isn’t until Salinger personally delivers the devastating news that Schumer has met his untimely demise that Whitman springs into action. Together, they convene with police officials, presenting evidence of a sinister plot: Schumer’s autopsy report reveals telltale signs of prussic acid and cyanide, hinting at a swift and ruthless assassination. Salinger’s own eyewitness account is inconclusive, however, as he fails to notice the killer amidst the chaos.

As the investigation unfolds, Whitman explains that Interpol is hot on the trail of the IBBC, accused of facilitating global money laundering schemes and participating in other illicit activities. Her involvement stems from the New York branch’s notorious reputation for facilitating illegal dealings, often with deadly consequences. The gruesome fate that befell would-be whistleblowers serves as a chilling reminder of the bank’s ruthless tactics.

When the police decline to take action, citing a lack of evidence against the IBBC, Salinger and Whitman are left to ponder their next move. As they depart the precinct, Whitman presses Salinger about the cryptic warning he received from the authorities: a veiled reference to his checkered past. With a nonchalant shrug, Salinger directs her attention to his dossier, leaving her to draw her own conclusions as the mystery deepens.

As Salinger returns to his Lyon abode, he retreats into a somber reverie, immersing himself in the icy waters of his sink, where memories of Schumer’s tragic demise begin to resurface. His mind wanders back to the fateful day when an enigmatic stranger brushed past him outside the car, a moment that now takes on a sinister significance. The following morning, Salinger’s superior arrives at Interpol headquarters, only to find his subordinate already settled in, his determination to dismantle the IBBC more resolute than ever. A crucial clue has emerged: a newspaper article revealing Clement’s untimely demise while driving home, mirroring the day Schumer met his maker. With their informant silenced forever, Salinger seizes this opportunity to rekindle the investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Meanwhile, as Jonas Skarssen (Ulrich Thomsen), the calculating head of the IBBC, provides a seemingly innocuous statement to the authorities regarding Clement’s final hours, Salinger detects a telling inconsistency in his alibi. The truth seeker is now driven to confront Skarssen and unravel the web of deception surrounding Clement’s death.

In another corner of the story, the assassin (Brian F. O’Byrne) meets his handler, Wilhelm Wexler (Armin Mueller-Stahl), at a museum, where an unsettling encounter unfolds. As Wexler notices the assassin fixated on a particular painting, he inquires about its allure. The assassin’s response is telling: it’s because the artwork captures the agony etched on the subjects’ faces, an authenticity that resonates with his own troubled psyche. With this morbid fascination satiated, Wexler dispatches the assassin to a new assignment via a USB key, which he initially hesitates to accept but ultimately succumbs to.

As Salinger arrives at the IBBC headquarters for his scheduled meeting with Skarssen, he’s forced to wait in anticipation, observing the enigmatic businessman conferring with a group of men, including Wexler. His attempt to hail Skarssen falls on deaf ears, leaving him to seethe in frustration. Instead, he’s ushered into a dimly lit room where Martin White (Patrick Baladi), Skarssen’s cunning attorney, awaits his arrival. Accompanied by the bank’s legal representative, White presents himself as the mediator, warning Salinger that any discussion with Skarssen will be contingent upon their own deliberations.

Salinger’s ire is palpable as he navigates the charade, but his determination to uncover the truth prompts him to probe White about Clement’s arrival at Skarssen’s residence. However, White’s response is a transparent fabrication, which Salinger promptly exposes by producing the police report, citing a disparity in the alleged timeframe. The bank’s attorney inspects the document before producing an alternate report from thin air, claiming that Salinger’s version was merely a preliminary draft riddled with errors.

The official report, now physically presented, confirms White’s initial claim, leaving Salinger feeling defeated and disheartened. As he exits the headquarters, he resorts to his phone, confiding in Whitman about the apparent tampering with evidence and his helplessness in the face of such manipulation. His despair is short-lived, as a careless bump from an unsuspecting pedestrian sends him into a tailspin of paranoia, convinced that yet another individual has been targeted by Skarssen’s sinister forces.

His growing unease culminates in a heated confrontation with the innocent bystander, who, understandably, regards Salinger as a deranged agitator.

As Salinger pays a visit to his boss at home, he attempts to coax him out of the house, only to be rebuffed. Undeterred, Salinger seizes the opportunity to snoop around, discovering a hidden wiretap in his boss’s phone and expertly dismantling it. Once they step outside, Salinger reveals that he also uncovered a similar contraption in his own phone, attributing their new report to the bank’s clandestine surveillance efforts. Meanwhile, Whitman tries to strike up a conversation with Clements’s widow over the phone, only to be abruptly terminated when she hangs up on him. Leaving a message requesting a callback, the widow provides her cell phone number and implores Whitman to reach out, sparking a series of cryptic text messages that ultimately lead her to recommend that Whitman seek out Umberto Calvini (Luca Barbareschi), the enigmatic head of a shadowy organization. As these events unfold, an assassin is seen rehearsing his marksmanship skills at a calculated distance, meticulously collecting and storing spent bullet shells for future reference. In a parallel development, Salinger delves into Calvini’s background, uncovering a tangled web of connections that hint at a deeper involvement in the world of high-stakes weaponry.

As Salinger and Whitman delve into the labyrinthine world of international politics, their investigation leads them to Milan, where they converge on a pivotal figure: Calvini, an enigmatic entrepreneur with ties to both Italy’s Prime Ministerial race and the shrouded IBBC. Against the backdrop of a sweltering political rally, Salinger and Whitman infiltrate a nearby building to meet the elusive Calvini, whose cryptic remarks hint at a complex web of deceit. Prior to their encounter, Whitman reveals that she has thoroughly scrutinized Salinger’s dossier, uncovering the painful truth behind his departure from Scotland Yard: a ruthless IBBC had brutally silenced his most trusted informant, leaving Salinger feeling betrayed and disillusioned. This tragic event not only terminated the investigation but also earned Salinger an ignominious reputation within Interpol. As they finally meet Calvini, he candidly confesses that the IBBC has been secretly procuring advanced missiles from China, with plans to resell them to a third party. However, this Machiavellian organization had approached him in hopes of acquiring guidance systems, knowing that he and a select few possess the exclusive expertise required to supply such technology. Calvini’s refusal to participate in their nefarious scheme has likely earned him the ire of the IBBC, whose tentacles stretch far and wide, manipulating nations through the manipulation of wars. With Clement’s tragic demise serving as a stark reminder of their formidable reach, Calvini warns Salinger and Whitman that the IBBC exerts an iron grip on global politics, fueling conflicts to dictate the economic agendas in war-torn regions. As the rally concludes, Calvini promises to continue sharing his insights with the intrepid duo, setting the stage for a treacherous game of cat and mouse between Salinger, Whitman, and the IBBC’s calculating operatives.

As Calvini takes the stage at the rally, an ominous scene unfolds in a nearby hotel room. A hitman meticulously sets up his rifle, intent on silencing the speaker. The crowd’s anticipation is palpable as Calvini begins to deliver his impassioned address, and the hitman’s countdown starts ticking away - 60 seconds until mayhem ensues. Just as the assassin’s trigger finger is poised to strike, Calvini makes a sudden movement, throwing off the hitman’s aim. The first shot misses its mark, but a second bullet whizzes past, finding its target in Calvini’s head. Pandemonium erupts as the crowd disperses, and a uniformed cop bursts into the hotel room, dispensing swift justice to the would-be assassin. As his colleagues exit, the officer delivers the finishing blow, ensuring the perpetrator meets his maker. The detective on the scene plants the shell casing from the earlier shot on the floor, a grim reminder of the violence that has unfolded.

Meanwhile, Salinger and Whitman flee the chaos, unaware of the mayhem that has transpired. However, Salinger’s keen instincts soon lead him to the assassin, who is attempting to lose himself in an alleyway. The chase is on, with Salinger hot on the hitman’s heels - only to lose him in a labyrinthine backstreet. Undeterred, Whitman and the detective catch up, and as they enter the same alley, Whitman spots their target speeding away in a car. With a sense of impending doom, she cautiously approaches the vehicle, but it crashes into her before speeding off. Salinger and the detective rush to her aid, only to discover that Whitman has emerged relatively unscathed. The detective then hands Salinger his firearm, instructing him to pursue the assassin once more. Salinger takes up the chase on foot, eventually arriving at a bustling intersection where he discovers the mangled remains of the getaway car - but, alas, the hitman has vanished into thin air.

As Whitman’s medical exam confirms only minor bruises, Salinger and Whitman return to the rally site, now cordoned off by police. With clearance granted, they make their way onto the stage, where a closer inspection reveals an unsettling disparity in the bullet trajectories. Their investigation leads them to the rooftop where the hitman met his demise, and it’s here that Salinger pieces together the truth. The assassin was stationed on the roof, while the hitman was positioned below, mere stories away. As they reenact the events leading up to Calvini’s assassination, Salinger deduces that the initial misfire by the hitman prompted the assassin to take aim and deliver the fatal shot.

The planted evidence in the hotel room, designed to implicate the Red Brigade, only serves to further obfuscate the truth. But it’s on the rooftop, where a chance observation of a puddle catches Salinger’s attention. A drained examination reveals a telltale footprint that sends his mind racing back to a cold case from years past. This realization dawns on him: the IBBC has consistently utilized the same assassin, and if they can capture this individual and persuade them to cooperate, it could lead to the downfall of the bank.

However, their investigation is abruptly halted when the corrupt cop arrives, bearing the unwelcome news that their superiors have ordered them back home. The case is effectively closed. Undeterred, Salinger and Whitman make their way to the airport, where a sense of injustice simmers as they prepare to depart. As they bid farewell to their police contact, Whitman’s gaze falls upon the metal detector, which sparks a new lead. If the assassin had indeed departed through the airport, his leg brace would have been detected by the security device.

Their review of the surveillance footage yields a breakthrough: the assassin was present earlier, but aware of the camera, he deliberately angled his head away to avoid detection. A quick flight search reveals that the assassin boarded an airplane bound for New York City, prompting Salinger and Whitman to book their own passage to NYC, determined to pursue justice.

As Salinger and Whitman arrive at the scene, they’re met with a phalanx of NYPD detectives, led by the seasoned Iggy Ornelas (Felix Solis) and Bernie Ward (Jack McGee). The investigators have managed to procure a crystal-clear image of the assassin’s face from a surveillance feed, capturing his likeness in sharp detail. Moreover, the unique leg brace worn by the killer prompts speculation that he must have received treatment from a specific doctor to obtain such customized footwear. Meanwhile, a glimpse into the assassin’s daily routine reveals him pounding the pavement on a treadmill at a local gym, his sweat-drenched visage a testament to his relentless physical conditioning.

As the detectives pay a visit to Dr. Isaacson (Tibor Feldman), they’re met with an unexpected rebuff when he answers their knock at the door, only to shut it firmly in their faces. His nervous demeanor and protestations of innocence belie a deep-seated unease that Salinger expertly leverages by revealing the assassin’s penchant for targeting doctors. This chilling information prompts Isaacson to cooperate with the authorities, his fear of being next on the killer’s list proving a potent motivator.

In a separate development, Skarssen finds himself immersed in an intense game of Go with his son when a video conference call from White (Wexler), flanked by his senior staff, interrupts their bonding time. The sinister trio reveals that they orchestrated Calvini’s demise to secure control over the guidance equipment needed for their weapons, and that Salinger and Whitman are closing in on their assassin. With this new intel, it becomes clear that White, Wexler, and their cohorts will stop at nothing to protect their interests and maintain a stranglehold on the Calvinis, determined to see their ruthless plan through to its deadly conclusion.

As Salinger and the detectives delve deeper into Isaacson’s patient files in search of clues, a peculiar entry catches their attention - a file with a dead phone number and no accompanying photograph, accompanied by an address that appears to be the site where Isaacson would regularly be dropped off by taxi. Whitman’s boss reprimands her for wasting valuable time on the IBBC case, but warns them they have one last chance to crack the code. Salinger, Ornelas, and Ward converge on the mysterious address, only to find an empty lot waiting for them. Undeterred, they hypothesize that the assassin must reside in the surrounding area.

As Ornelas steps out to grab a coffee, he spots the assassin strolling down the sidewalk and quickly alerts Salinger and Ward. They follow him through the streets, their pursuit culminating at a payphone where the assassin makes a call, instructing someone to meet them at the Guggenheim Museum. Salinger and the detectives blend in with the crowd as they track the assassin to the museum.

Unbeknownst to them, Wexler has already arrived on the scene, his gaze locking onto Salinger’s with a mixture of recognition and warning. Wexler briefs the assassin that Salinger is closing in too quickly, making him their next target. Ornelas tailed Wexler, as the assassin prepares to depart, only to be caught off guard by a reflective glint - Salinger and Ward are watching him. The game is up; the assassin knows they’ve been blown.

Confronting the assassin, Salinger and the detectives hold their ground, prepared to make an arrest. However, the assassin remains defiant, warning them that the bank will never allow them to take him in. Just as the standoff seems poised to escalate, a gunman takes aim at Ward, striking him in the throat and sending him tumbling onto Salinger. As Ward bleeds profusely, the gunman prepares to deliver the finishing blow when the assassin intervenes, shooting the assailant through the forehead.

In the ensuing chaos, it becomes clear that the museum is crawling with a hit team, and a massive firefight erupts. Salinger seizes Ward’s gun and begins taking down henchmen, while the assassin proves himself a valuable ally in their fight for survival. The unexpected twist: the assassin was wearing a bulletproof vest, rendering him impervious to previous attacks.

As they regroup amidst the mayhem, the assassin warns Salinger that their target list includes both of them, and it’s imperative they escape the museum before the hit team can strike again.

As chaos erupts during the intense shootout, Salinger (John Travolta) finds himself gravely wounded in the side of his face, a gory testament to the ferocity of the battle unfolding around him. With no apparent escape route from the besieged museum, Salinger and his adversary are forced to improvise, resorting to floor-by-floor trench warfare as they desperately try to outmaneuver their relentless pursuers. In a daring display of resourcefulness, Salinger seizes an opportunity to claim the fallen hitman’s weapon, but finds himself in a fierce struggle for control. By cleverly exploiting the assassin’s momentary distraction, Salinger manages to redirect his opponent’s machine gun into the museum’s glass ceiling, showering the area with shards of splintered panes.

As the fight spills onto the spiral ramp, Salinger disposes of another assailant by sending him plummeting over the balcony railing, where he meets a grisly demise. Meanwhile, the assassin suffers multiple gunshot wounds to his stomach, yet still finds the strength to taunt Salinger about their shared fate: certain doom at the hands of the authorities. With cold calculation, Salinger dispatches one final opponent by deliberately triggering a massive ceiling tile, crushing the remaining gunmen below.

As the museum’s defenders fall silent, Salinger and his wounded adversary make a desperate bid for freedom, narrowly escaping the closing police net just in time. In the aftermath, Salinger carries the dying assassin to a nearby park, where the defeated operative delivers a haunting prediction: they would never be taken alive by the authorities. As the assassin’s life slips away, Salinger remains standing, only to be confronted by the arriving law enforcement.

As Whitman (character) arrives at the police station to confront Salinger, they’re met with a surprise: both of them have been instructed to be detained by the authorities. Undeterred, the pair manages to slip away from their would-be captors and make a daring escape, fleeing the premises in a high-speed chase that leaves the law in disarray.

Once they’ve escaped the clutches of the police, Whitman reveals a crucial file to Salinger and whisks him away to a nondescript building on the outskirts of town. There, Ornelas (character) is waiting for them, having caught up with Wexler (character) and currently holding him captive downstairs.

Whitman’s motives become clear as he implores Salinger to turn Wexler over to authorities, insisting that this is the only way to ensure that Ward’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain. Reluctantly, Salinger complies, descending to the basement level where Wexler awaits. As they confront each other, it becomes apparent that their paths have crossed before - Wexler was once the handler for a notorious assassin who had been set up by none other than Salinger himself.

Wexler’s words are laced with venom as he reveals the true extent of the IBBC’s (International Bank and Business Corporation) corrupt influence. This global financial behemoth has insidious ties to every government agency, criminal organization, and underworld figure imaginable. Wexler, a former East German communist secret police officer, confesses that his dedication to this Western bank is rooted in a desire for power and control - the very things he once fought against.

As Salinger listens in stunned silence, Wexler reveals that bringing down the IBBC will require him to abandon his principles and operate outside the boundaries of the law. The weight of this moral dilemma hangs heavy in the air as Wexler’s resolve begins to falter, his eyes betraying a deep sense of disillusionment.

In a stunning turn of events, Wexler advises Salinger that the only way to take down the IBBC is to abandon all hope of doing so through conventional means. Instead, he must be prepared to operate in the shadows, willing to break the rules and compromise his values in order to achieve his goal.

Salinger’s response is immediate: he urges Whitman to withdraw from the case, warning her that the bank will inevitably turn its attention to her family if she continues to pursue it. His words are laced with a quiet desperation as he implores her to put her own safety above all else. With a heavy heart, Whitman eventually agrees, bidding Salinger farewell as they part ways forever.

As White and his associates from the IBBC arrived at the Calvini organization to finalize the contract for the highly sought-after guidance equipment, they were abruptly intercepted by the Calvini security team, who issued a stern ultimatum: vacate the premises immediately. It soon became apparent that Salinger had previously briefed the Calvini sons on the IBBC’s alleged involvement in their father’s assassination. As White and his entourage departed the scene, they received word that the Calvinis were now privy to this grave revelation.

The team’s vehicle was swallowed up by a tunnel, but failed to re-emerge. Later, Skarssen found himself riveted to a news broadcast detailing a coup d’état orchestrated by a general - one whose efforts the IBBC had covertly supported. It was there that he learned of White’s demise. Recognizing this development as a calculated message from the Calvinis, Skarssen reassured his colleagues that their operations would continue unabated. In response to the sudden shift in circumstances, they were forced to pivot and acquire the guidance equipment from alternative sources.

Their attention turned to Ahment Sunay (Haluk Bilginer), a Turkish businessman who happened to be in Istanbul attending his cousin’s funeral at this juncture. Skarssen devised a plan to travel to Turkey and negotiate a deal with Sunay, while Wexler discreetly informed Salinger of the new meeting location: Istanbul.

In the vibrant city of Istanbul, the stage is set for a deadly game of cat and mouse. As Skarssen and Wexler arrive at the funeral, their presence is marked by an air of anticipation. Wexler, ever vigilant, excuses himself to attend to nature’s call, unaware that Salinger awaits him in the bathroom, armed with an earpiece and a plan. Meanwhile, Wexler has taken the precautionary measure of planting a bug on Skarssen’s jacket, ensuring that Salinger can record their conversation with Sunay.

As Wexler waits outside, Sunay greets them, whisking Skarssen away to discuss business while Salinger slips into the shadows, driven by his desire to capture the exchange. However, his stealth is short-lived, as he’s soon discovered by guards and unceremoniously ejected from the scene.

As Wexler and Skarssen go about their business, a mysterious figure approaches the former, their eyes locking in a moment of mutual understanding. The ensuing conversation ends with Wexler slumped against a pillar, his jacket bearing a telltale hole, revealing that he’s been felled by a silent assassin.

Skarssen’s panic is palpable as he takes in the gruesome scene and spots Salinger closing in on him. With Salinger hot on his heels, Skarssen flees through bustling markets, but the relentless pursuer remains mere steps behind. Cornered on a rooftop, Skarssen tries to lose Salinger in the maze of city life, only to find himself trapped.

Salinger’s menacing tone sets the stage for a showdown as he draws his gun and confronts Skarssen. The would-be captive attempts to reason with his captor, pointing out that killing him would merely perpetuate the cycle of violence, allowing the IBBC and its cohorts to thrive.

As Salinger contemplates his next move, a sudden shot rings out, striking Skarssen in the chest. He collapses, his life slipping away as the mysterious hitman appears, gun still smoking from Wexler’s demise. The assassin takes aim at Salinger’s head, only to be interrupted by another shot, this time ending Skarssen’s life with a chilling message: “Grazie” - a parting gift from Mario and Enzo Calvini.

The screen fades to black as the sound of ringing fades away, leaving behind a trail of death and unanswered questions.

As the curtain closes on the tumultuous tale of deceit and corruption, the silver screen fades to black, giving way to a subtle yet striking juxtaposition: a montage of newspaper headlines revealing the demise of Skarssen, the erstwhile IBBC executive whose life was tragically cut short. In his wake, a new figure emerges, a cunning colleague who assumes control and perpetuates the very same illicit activities that had been the hallmark of Skarssen’s tenure. The veneer of legitimacy is carefully maintained, with the IBBC presenting itself as a beacon of fiscal probity.

Meanwhile, whispers begin to circulate about Whitman, now elevated to a position of prominence in Washington, who is poised to launch another investigation into the IBBC’s affairs. The stage is set for a new chapter in this ongoing saga of corruption and intrigue, as the wheels of justice continue to turn, slowly but surely, towards the truth.