Movie Review - The American

The American (2010)

Starring George Clooney, Violante Placido, Thekla Reuten, and Johan Leysen

Directed by Anton Corbijn

For a movie about killers, snipers, and hit men, The American is oddly low key.  Some may even go so far as to throw out the word "boring" when describing it.  Surely, when compared to other tales of similar ilk, this flick about a hired American hit man and his assignment in a small Italian town doesn't jump off the screen.  However, thanks to a subdued performance from Clooney and some lovely direction and cinematography, The American succeeds as long as you know what you're getting into when you watch it.

Thinking that The American is some shoot-em-up thriller will only do you harm.  Instead, it's an introspective look at hit man Jack (George Clooney) and his desire to connect with people, rather than kill them (in other words, he's searching for love and not war).  That makes the flick sound silly, but in the grand scheme of things, that's the crux of the film.  Much more of a personal story than a thriller, in terms of keeping the audience interested, the film rests squarely in George Clooney's hands.  In nearly every scene, his quiet nature throughout the picture may be one of the reasons the flick was given that "boring" tag.  To me, I actually liked his character a lot and think that this may be Clooney's best performance yet.  While some may deem it emotionless (which it sort of is), his Jack is a guy whose job won't allow him to show emotions, but it's obvious that under the surface, he desires to stop keeping things so pent up.

In order to attempt a release from his everyday life, Jack finds himself befriending a prostitute, Clara (the lovely Violante Placido).  As is the case in many foreign movies (of which this American production surely resembles), all the ladies in The American are beautiful (with and without clothes on).  Of course, beauty doesn't necessarily mean sweet and innocent and Jack's mistrust of everyone in his life is one of key elements of his character that move the plot along and keep things interesting.  While this concept of an alluring woman perhaps being a man's downfall is a staple in movies, it doesn't seem a bit tired here which is a credit to writer Rowan Joffé.  Joffé knows just the right times to throw in the suspenseful moments which, while low key by most movie standards, contained quite a few genuine surprises.

Is The American a great film?  Not quite.  That "boring" word that was used in many reviewers' critiques of the film isn't entirely incorrect.  I feel like with some trimming here and there, director Anton Corbijn's flick could've been a little tauter and, consequently, a little more enjoyable to watch.  Still, this is an interesting one with a pretty nice turn from Mr. Clooney who is slowly morphing from simply being "Star Celebrity GEORGE CLOONEY" up on screen to a nice little character actor.

The RyMickey Rating:  B