The American is a quiet film that relies on facial expressions. Actions and reactions tell the story. Not words. When there is someone speaking, you are listening because the characters are very selective about what they say and tell each other. They have to be careful about what is revealed. This film might as well be a foreign film. It takes place in Italy and there is some dialogue in English, but quite a bit of it in Italian as well. It is a different film, but a clever one that takes its time and makes you pay attention.
Jack or Edward or “Mr. Butterfly” (George Clooney) is an assassin and weapons expert. He has been at his job for a long time and he is very good at it. No remorse and no sympathy. After almost being killed in snow-covered Sweden, Jack escapes to Italy to hideout for a while. While he is there, he is given an assignment: to create a weapon for a mysterious client, Mathilde (Thekla Reuten). But it is not all work and no play for him. He meets a beautiful prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido) and a romance begins to bloom.
Clara is Jack’s weakness. She represents love and commitment and he has never had time for that before. But maybe this is his last chance to feel something. Actually feel it. Love has not been a part of Jack’s life in a long time and now it may be too late. Jack’s profession may put both of them in the way of danger. Paolo Bonacelli plays Father Benedetto and he is the only man who might understand Jack. They know each other’s sins and seem to always be testing each other in every scene they are in. It is like a therapy session for both of them.
The George Clooney of the Oceans trilogy, O Brother Where Art Thou ?, Michael Clayton, and Leatherheads is nowhere to be found in this film. Clooney takes a fresh approach to the character of Jack. Clooney is not the charmer or the romantic we are used to and he hardly ever smiles.
His character is cold with a damaged soul and we can probably blame that on the stress of his job. Because of what he does and has done, his life has taken a beating. Clooney plays a man of few words but you can always see his eyes moving and being observant of what is going on around him. It is a different and daring role for Clooney but you have to appreciate that. He is still trying new things and taking roles that may be out of his comfort zone.
Director Anton Corbijn keeps a steady hand on the pace of this film. He takes his time and forces the audience to be patient. Corbijn is surrounded by beautiful buildings and landscapes and he is able to digest it all and let it become part of the film. He makes the film seem full of tension the whole time even if it feels so slow. There is this suspense of not knowing who is working for who anymore or if they can be trusted. Just like Jack, you have to be on alert at all times.
I do not know if this film is brilliant or boring. Perhaps both. There are some very slow moments that do not add to anything and you could feel bored at times. The American is not your action movie with lots of fighting and blood. It is almost the exact opposite. The action is quick but believable. It only takes a couple of shots for someone to be killed in this film.
I know the film is sluggish and uneventful sometimes. Yet, The American feels so innovative and personal. It contains a story that we have seen before but totally new in the way that it is told. The way the material is presented and paced by Corbijn along with Clooney’s nearly silent but strong performance, The American appears to be brilliant and masterful. I am left thinking it just might be. Even now as I finish this review, this film is growing on me.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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