Review of The American (2010) by Stevenf — 13 Aug 2013

We don't necessarily get a story about a master assassin as the blurb suggests, but what we do get is a heavy character study about the repercussions of such a lifestyle, and it couldn't be painted in more realistic form from George Clooney, who delivers a very subdued yet believably dangerous performance as the variously named assassin. We immediately realise the situation this man finds himself in, he trusts nobody and really cannot be around anyone for fear of being discovered, as the old threats used to go, you will be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life, well this is exactly what the film consists of, a middle-aged man who must try to rebuild his life and escape his messy past, his actions in the opening moments of the film show just how far he will go to not be found.

I also noticed very little dialogue throughout the film, instead going for very intense and thrilling scenes, quiet but engrossing as the story progresses, a story that isn't fully explained but doesn't need to be, our assassin is hiding out in Italy, where we learn of his other trade as a very talented gunsmith, something he seems at peace doing. What follows is a slowly paced and captivating encounter, with Clooney's character suspicious of every single person he meets or even lays eyes on, probably for good reason.

The easiest thing to take away from the film is not necessarily what this man, Jack, is, but more so what happens after, we meet him in what can only be assumed to be the twilight years of his job, and the rest of the film plays as a study of the difficulties and challenges facing different choices made, loneliness plays a major factor but its focus and determination that keep this man alive. The film itself does have an acquired taste, its often slow and many will find it difficult to sit through, simply for the lack of what people may perceive to be very little happening, but thats the point of it, letting the talent tell the story through actions, facial expressions and decisions, this man constantly fears for his life, even though his past suggests he can handle the pressure, we see a broken and often paranoid individual, a human being. The promotional posters are truly misleading and this was definitely surprising, but in a very delightful way.