Review of The American (2010) by Stephen H — 03 Jun 2013

I've heard time and again that this was boring. Plenty told me it was pointless, the ending was bad, and it was dull. Well, I gave it a shot because I happen to like George Clooney. Instead of the absolute disaster that people made it out to be, what I got was a strongly character driven film that was light on plot and heavy on atmosphere.

The American follows an assassin who heads to Italy after a hit goes wrong in Sweden. This film is skimpy on plot, only having enough to propel the film to an end. However, what it lacks in plot it makes up for greatly in character and atmosphere.

The acting is superb, and George Clooney proves once again that he is one of the best in the business. The atmosphere established is quiet, therefore suspenseful, which serves this film exceptionally well.

Now, there's the ending. Obviously, I won't delve into spoilers here, but the ending is no where near the bomb that people make it out to be. It's a satisfying conclusion to the story. Overall, the film is a good, but not great, time and it's definitely worth a watch.