FILM CHALLENGE: 166) The American

166) The American

Director: Anton Corbjin

Year: 2010

Plot Summary: An assassin hides out in Italy for one last assignment.

Released on Labour Day weekend in America, stateside audiences flocked to see George Clooney's latest movie The American, many under the belief that they were in for an action-packed ride. Therefore, The American was a box office success making tens of millions of dollars on its opening weekend. Nevertheless, the critical and audience reception ranged, generally, from disappointment to outright hatred. After all, Anton Corbijn's latest drama is a quiet, subtle and minimalistic study in existentialism and far from what you'd have expected from Mr. Clooney.

After a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for an American assassin, Jack, he retreats to the Italian countryside where he relishes being away from death for a spell. Holed up in the small medieval town, Jack takes an assignment to construct a weapon for a mysterious contact, accepts the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto and pursues a beautiful woman, Clara. Jack and Clara's time together evolves into a romance, one seemingly free of danger, but by stepping out of the shadows he may be tempting fate.

Despite the aforementioned reception that it got across the pond, The American may well be one of the best films of 2010. While it's not for everyones liking, it is extremely slow paced and features very little dialogue or drama whatsoever, Anton Corbijn has crafted a haunting and subtle insight into the effects that living a life of isolation, privacy and loneliness has had on Jack now that he is growing old.

It's an intricate character study and one that, for a narrative we've seen many variations of before from films like In Bruges and Grosse Point Blank to The Bourne Identity, is quite unique. It's also fantastic in the way that it doesn't, not even for a second, play the viewers for fools or conform to the typical Hollywood style of tearing the protagonist to pieces before your eyes and explaining each and every aspect of the character for you. In The American you will instead have to piece together who the real Jack is through what is suggested and implied in ordinary, everyday moments.

This character study becomes part of the narrative during the second half of the movie while the opening 40 minutes set the atmosphere and tone of the picture. Both the direction from Corbjin, who made the superb Control, and the screenplay by Rowan Joffe give it a wonderful sense of impending dread that puts us in the shoes of the constantly fearful Jack. The American also gives us a terrific insight into his aforementioned isolation through long takes, repetition and an understated performance by George Clooney. Though he is recognised mostly for his cool, well-composed portrayals of Danny Ocean in the Oceans trilogy, he gives his character a dark edge in this drama that, underneath the Italian suits and sunglasses, has a troubled core that has come from years of paid murder.

A victim of expectations and poor marketing, The American may have not have been recognised as the great movie it is upon the movie's American release. Similarly, it's likely to befall the same fate when it hits the UK in a few weeks time. Nevertheless, Anton Corbjin has created something beautiful here. A unique drama that is atmospheric, well-observed, gorgeously photographed and features one of the best performances of the year.

And look how amazing that poster is!

4/5

By Daniel Sarath with 2 comments