The American: Movie Review
By Justine JC
Note the above image: with eyebrows raised, George Clooney and his gun dart to the rescue, while the Catholics stand by in sheer terror! I applaud those responsible for the array of deceiving advertisements that feature this exact photo. I, too, was enticed by this gripping shot – though know now, this image captures one of the only exciting moments in the entire film. Based on Martin Booth’s A Very Private Gentlemen, Focus Features presents their latest “suspense thriller”: The American.
Check out the review below…
The Players:
- Director: Anton Corbijn
- Screenwriters: Rowan Joffe, Martin Booth
- Cast: George Clooney, Irina Björklund, Johan Leysen, Paolo Bonacelli, Thekla Reuten
- Cinematographer: Martin Ruhe
- Original Music By: Herbert Grönemeyer
The Plot:
Jack (Clooney), a seasoned assassin, is constantly on the move/under attack. After a job in Sweden ends in unexpected disaster (including a bullet to his girlfriend’s skull) Jack retreats to the Italian countryside to work on a more low-key assignment: constructing a weapon for a mysterious contact, Mathilde. Happy to finally reside in a danger-free zone, Jack befriends a local priest and falls in love with a local prostitute (very New Testament!). All seems relatively peaceful at surface level, but is it really possible for Jack to put his precarious existence as an international assassin on hold? Of course not!
The Bad:
- Pacing: Two words… snooze cruise. The writing confirms that the story should have peaked in multiple places, but the film felt painfully uneventful. The material is there, but was both poorly executed and edited. The whereabouts of Jack’s mission were a little ambiguous (hence, the attempted suspense), but ultimately his objectives were too clandestine to be enjoyed. This coupled with the dragged out shots and slow, awkward cuts reduced any sense of flow – and with “suspense thrillers,” pacing is everything. The movie feels more like a collection of aimless, disjointed scenes than a feature film.
- Jack: The character of Jack (whom the story is centered around) has very little dialogue, which isn’t always bad – sometimes having a character show us who they are and what they’re up to is far more engaging than having them choke us with declarative statements of self. But this character and Clooney’s performance offers no sense of identity. He barely emotes at all, which one could argue as a character choice – I’ll instead argue it’s a total lack of arc.
- Boring: Few things actually occur in this film other than weapon construction, sex with a prostitute, and serious espresso drinking.
- Tone: The dismal color palettes, boring location, and dry score just enhance the overall mundaneness of the film.
The Good:
- Timeless Hotness: Sexiness doesn’t age for Mr. Clooney – the man is 49 and still making women squeal. Impressive.
Overall:
The American is one of the worst films of the year. You’d be a fool to waste your money.
Rating: 1/10
The American opens in theaters everywhere September 1st.
Trailer:
Do you plan on seeing The American this weekend?
Monday, September 6, 2010 1:41PM
The American was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Slow moving, little plot, basically no dialogue, Save your money and go see something else!
Monday, September 6, 2010 2:07PM
Sexist movie.Naked woman,no naked guy.Is the penis TABOO ?
Monday, September 6, 2010 3:23PM
We had a very polite audience. Nothing from anybody, even as they filed out afterwards. You knew what they were thinking though… refund. The most impressive thing about this movie was the way the viewers fell into a collective coma.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 3:33PM
Not a good movie at all. What plot? I heard it was a new alternative to put you to sleep before having a tooth out at the dentist.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 4:45AM
Most “one last job” movies are high-energy action flicks or thrillers driven by a veteran actor playing a character with a troubling back story, but Anton Corbijn’s “The American” operates as a character-driven mood piece, a precise and quiet visual portrayal of a man trying to quit his dangerous profession who is constantly haunted and pervasively paranoid.
Way different from the Clooney-led spy thrillers of the ’90s, “The American” broods and ruminates under the Corbijn’s precise visual style. Those expecting Clooney’s return to suave criminal mastery will find themselves waiting and waiting for this film to pop. It doesn’t. There is no mêlée of Bourne-style assassin-chasing amid the hillside towns of the Italian countryside, so for many, shots of Clooney doing push-ups and putting together a rifle will become tedious.
But “The American” doesn’t languish quite as much as it might seem, though it certainly does at times. After a jarring opening sequence in Sweden when Clooney’s character Jack realizes he’s being targeted, Jack quietly makes his way to Rome and then Abruzzo, where a job awaits him even though he’s clearly ready to quit and he’s still shaken from Sweden. Shots of him maneuvering the gorgeous countryside ensue as well as aforementioned exercise. In a town in the Abruzzo area, he meets Mathilde, his client, for whom he will build a custom rifle as that’s his line of work. In the process, he becomes close with a gorgeous prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido) and comes to believe he’s being pursued by the Swedes, causing paranoia to engross him.
Corbijn, who directed the 2007 black-and-white biopic “Control” about the short life of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, possesses a calculated and engaging visual style. His shots are ideally framed and pull our eye everywhere it needs to go. Considering dialogue is sparse, the ability for a scene to say a lot without saying anything is crucial and Corbijn does just that. He also plays well off audience expectation for this genre and twists the story in fresh and interesting ways.
Corbijn and Clooney are clearly on the same page, even if it means the film puts too much emphasis on the non-verbal and the dauntingly slow build-up to the climax. As much as the emphasis is tone, tone and tone, we come to understand Jack (who later decides he’s Edward) extremely well and see his conflict between sticking to his sinful nature as a means to survive and just letting it all go because it bottles him up inside. You can critique the method all you like and complain about the film’s choice to lean towards drama instead of action, but Corbijn possesses a good measure of talent and “The American” will leave a profound impression.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 10:01PM
slow and boring, but the ass in this movie is incredible !
Thursday, September 9, 2010 5:08PM
The movie is not nearly as good as your review indicates. Isn't there something lower than 1/10?
Monday, September 13, 2010 5:24PM
A naked female differs from a naked male in many ways. Female nudity is usually only breasts, which are not genitals. There are literally thousands of movies with male genital shots but I am yet to see a film with female genitals. Most people do not recognize the double standard, or at least do not understand it. Even in movies that have quick shots of completely naked females, the genitals are between the legs, not seen unless the legs are spread. For someone to see female genitals the women must have her legs spread which I know for a fact has never been in a movie, but there is a new movie every year with a mans penis in it.
Thursday, January 27, 2011 10:20AM
1 out of 10 ? Come on, I agree it's boring but it's not that bad . I thing Clooney's acting was superb , especially in the last scene in the car. Once again , I agree it was not a very good movie , but it's definitely not the worst. That rating is ridiculous