The American – An Alliance Films’ Release

http://www.focusfeatures.com/the_american

DVD Release Date: January 4th, 2010

Rated 14A for sexual content, violence, not recommended for children

Running time: 105 minutes

 

Anton Corbijn (dir.)

 

Rowan Joffe (screenplay)

 

Based on the novel A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth

 

Herbert Grönemeyer (music)

 

George Clooney as Jack

Irina Björklund as Ingrid

Violante Placido as Clara

Thekla Reuten as Mathilde

Paolo Bonacelli as Father Benedetto

 

Our reviews below:

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The American DVD Review By John C.

**1/2 (out of 4)

Jack (George Clooney) is an assassin on hire in the Italian countryside, who accepts one last job to build a weapon for the mysterious Mathilde (Thekla Reuten).  While in Italy he falls in love with a local prostitute, Clara (Violante Placido), and at the same time has to stay one step ahead of the mysterious Swedish agents always on his tail.

 

I must admit that The American is rarely ever boring, even in scenes of little or no dialogue, and George Clooney is quite good in the lead role.  The film is most admirable for it’s often striking cinematography, but as it reaches it’s finale, this pretentious and seemingly existential art house thriller ultimately feels pointless and hollow.

 

The DVD includes audio commentary with director Anton Corbijn, several deleted scenes, and a short featurette that does its best to explain the supposed symbolism of the movie.

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The American DVD Review By Erin V.

**1/2 (out of 4)

In The American, George Clooney plays a hit-man hoping to do one last job and then quit the business.  For this last job, he is told, he won’t even have to pull the trigger – all he has to do is put together a gun for the job.  Meanwhile, he is falling for a Italian prostitute in the village where he is staying, despite being told to get close to no one…

 

The biggest problem with The American is the lack of significant amount of plot.  It takes a long while to not get that far, ending up with a film that I could have seen done as an edgy short.  It’s technically not a bad film by any means – the acting is all good, the score is fine, and even when not much is happening you are engaged on the first viewing.  This is mainly because you’re waiting for everything to eventually mean something – go somewhere…  which, unfortunately it does not.

 

Probably the strongest element of this film would be it’s cinematography.  It is shot very well (dir. Anton Corbijn is a photographer) and I would sooner reccomend the tie-in photo book of the film/production than this finished project.  Still, if you are curious and rent this one, definitely watch the 10 minute making of featurette.  It has more to it, and at least gives a little insight into what this film was possibly trying to portray.

 

The American is based on the book A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth – which I suspect the film is quite close to.

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The American DVD Review By Tony

**1/2 (out of 4)

The American begins in an isolated Swedish cottage in winter with Jack, aka Edward (George Clooney) who obviously has enemies that he regularly dispatches without emotion, or witnesses. Escaping to Italy, he agrees to one last assignment from his creepy employer (Johan Leysen) to provide a concealable automatic sniper rifle and ammunition for the mysterious assassin Mathilde (Thekla Reuten). In the ancient town of Sulmona (birthplace of the Roman poet Ovid) Edward loosens up on his no attachment policy, befriending a wise old priest (Paolo Bonacelli) with a taste for French brandy, spezzatino d’agnello (lamb stew) and wild oats, and forming a more than casual relationship with the fetching putana Clara (Violante Placido). As his job is about to be completed, Edward is looking over his shoulder, increasingly aware that his peaceful retirement plans may backfire.

 

Though beautifully shot by Dutch director Anton Corbijn, better known for photography and rock videos, with a fine cast and suspense intensified by an ambient score from German rocker Herbert Grönemeyer, The American has the feel of a long buildup without a satisfactory conclusion. In a brief featurette on the disc the makers of the film place themselves, with typical European arrogance, in the tradition of the classic westerns of Sergio Leone, which didn’t totally work for me. In conclusion The American is worth seeing once for æsthetic reasons, but once you know how it ends, you may not want to go back.

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Consensus: Despite striking cinematography and good leading work from George Clooney, in the end The American ultimately feels pointless and empty. **1/2 (Out of 4)