Movielogr

Rating: 8.5 stars

All movies seen on 01/27/2011

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The American (2010)

Directed by Anton Corbijn

Thriller

Most recently watched by VicnaLobster, seanCduregger, schofizzy, noahphex, sleestakk

Overview

Dispatched to a small Italian town to await further orders, assassin Jack embarks on a double life that may be more relaxing than is good for him.

Rated R | Length 104 minutes

Actors

George Clooney | Violante Placido | Thekla Reuten | Paolo Bonacelli | Johan Leysen | Irina Björklund | Lars Hjelm | Björn Granath | Giorgio Gobbi | Silvana Bosi | Guido Palliggiano | Samuel Vauramo | Antonio Rampino | Filippo Timi | Ilaria Cramerotti | Angelica Novak | Isabelle Adriani | Lello Serao | Anna Foglietta | Sandro Dori

Viewing History (seen 2 times)

Viewing Notes

I was finally able to catch up with this movie. I had really wanted to see it in the theater last year, and after watching, was sad that I hadn’t, as the film is visually compelling and would have been gorgeous on the large screen.

Directed by famous photographer Anton Corbijn, the film, as mentioned above, is gorgeous. Filmed mostly in the Italian countryside, the landscape is beautifully desolate, which neatly mirrors the soul of the protagonist, Jack.

Jack is well played by Clooney here. He’s tight, nervous, untrusting of everyone, dour. Very little of the typical Clooney warm and charm is invested in Jack, which is a good thing.

Though the trailers would lead you to believe that The American is a taut, action thriller brimming with chase scenes and busting with violence, it’s not. Instead, it flows along on an undercurrent of paranoia, perceived (and sometimes real) violence, and moral ambiguity. When violence does break out, it’s often unexpected, or takes unexpected turns. It’s also sickeningly real and remorseless.

From the opening scene, it’s difficult to really like Jack a lot, and I don’t think we’re meant to. Instead, Corbijn seems to want to instill the same standoffish, uncaring detachment in the audience that his character has. That’s how we’re supposed to identify with him, and it mostly works.

While not a movie for those looking for a Bourne Conspiracy styled thriller, The American worked for me.

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