The American review

It's extremely rare for U.S. spy dramas or like-spy dramas to go with a lovely slow pace instead what's become the norm for the genre via the 'Bourne' or 007 movies. "The American" has more in kin with samurai dramas or thrillers of the 70's than it does with the current genre and it's made all the better for it. George Clooney plays Jack or Edward, we're never really sure; an assassin of sorts whose last job involves him hiding out in Italy and crafting a weapon for his successor. Right there is 90% of the film as he mainly walks about the town, occasionally meets and chats with the locals despite his somewhat cold demeanor. He gets close to a prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido) and something more begins to appear in the character. Something like love for her... however not too long after that so does something comes out of him too.

The other 10% of the film deals subtly with paranoia. I say subtly in the form in which Coppola used it in "The Conversation". The entire time you feel like something more is going on, but you can't quite get a grasp on it until it's right in front of you. The entire final act is a well devised tight rope of tension and character emotion that's accomplished through patience and skill. "Control" director Anton Corbijn does what ought to be an award nomination worthy job along with screenwriter Rowan Joffe of making Clooney's mostly silent character likable by the end of the picture; making us fully care what happens in the final minutes. It's also a film that I would call sexy; not a adjective I tend to use when referring to movies, but it is.

I'm not talking just for the nudity or the sex, but generally they've shot this movie in such a beautiful fashion and soaked it in mystery and drama to the point that if this was a person, you'd want to meet em', befriend them, bang them and have a picnic with them the next day. At the same time not everyone will feel as strongly about it all as I do. The one beef I have against it is Focus Features marketing of the film. The first trailer was around 1:30 and played up the drama and romance of the story rather than the action (which is probably the third or fourth important aspect). That trailer aired in theaters probably for a week or two before a 30 second cut came out which utilized Mr. Voice talking of assassins and George Clooney while just showing off the action pieces in the film. Thus several people will walk in expecting an action film where Clooney goes ape shit killing baddies for his final hurray. THIS AIN'T THAT MOVIE. This is a smart, quiet thriller.

"The American" might be considered one of Clooney's awardy type films by some, but I'm not so convinced. I'd love to see this get some real legs and viewers and nods come that time of the year, but it feels more like a film destined to be left behind somewhere in that race. Why,I'm not entirely sure yet. Perhaps it's the heavy European feel that could hurt it. The somber tone that concludes in a rather bleak fashion or the fact that there just isn't a much of money shots in the film. Either way it is a film that deserves viewers. It's one of the best films I've seen all year and also warrants many technical accolades as well.