Can't a brother get a f***ing Thriller?

Watching The International (now I didn't have great expectations, the exclamations on the VCD cover not withstanding) left me with the same old feeling that is quite effectively described by 'KLPD'. Now it wasn't bad, in fact it was downright good in parts and Clive Owen was quite convincing and looked like he took the part seriously (Naomi Watts, otoh, didn't have much to do anyway). But something about thrillers bothers one these days - can't Hollywood with its gazillions and armies of writers create a single f**king spy/detective thriller that holds your attention and actually gets your paisa vasool? The last thriller that I was impressed with was The Mist, based on a Stephen King story, with its excellent ending - even though Marcia Gay Harden's religious nut character was a bit of a caricature and the giant spiders could have been, well, better. But for the last decent spy thriller, I have to go right back to Spy Game.

It's ironical that the one 'crime thriller' I am looking forward to is Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, although judging by the trailers I've seen on YouTube, there may be a little too much action - admittedly, it's an adaption. Downey Jr. as Holmes is intriguing enough in any case.

NK