The American

Plot synopsis:
Jack (George Clooney), an American assassin, is relaxing in a remote cabin at Dalarna, Sweden with his lover, Ingrid (Irina Björklund). The two decide to take a walk on the frozen lake nearby. While walking, Ingrid notices some footprints. Jack immediately becomes suspicious and quickly drags Ingrid to cover behind a large boulder as someone begins shooting at them. Jack kills the shooter and then tells Ingrid to return to the cabin and phone the police while he searches the body. As she rushes past him, he shoots her in the back of the head. Jack suspects there may be another shooter and goes in search of him. He comes up behind another armed man and kills him.Jack travels to Rome, Italy where he contacts a man named Pavel (Johan Leysen). Pavel is the person who provides Jack with his assignments. They don't typically meet in person. Pavel insists that Jack cannot stay in Rome and sends him to Castelvecchio, a small town in the mountains of Abruzzo. Jack arrives in Castelvecchio and immediately feels uncomfortable, so he drives down the road to, Castel del Monte, throwing the phone Pavel had given him out of the car window on the way.While he is hiding out in Castel del Monte, Jack is befriended by an elderly priest, Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli), who senses that Jack is not who he claims to be and is struggling to find his way. The father pressures Jack to seek absolution, something which Jack, now going by the name 'Edward' and posing as a photographer, resists.Jack contacts Pavel, who offers him another job, a job that won't require him to kill anyone. Jack eventually decides to take the job and meets with a shady Belgian, named Mathilde (Thekla Reuten), who wants him to build a compact gun with the firing capacity of a submachine gun and the accuracy of a rifle. Jack begins work on the weapon as he begins patronizing a local prostitute, named Clara (Violante Placido). At the same time, Jack realizes that he is being followed by a young Swedish man (Samuli Vauramo) who is probably associated with the people who tried to kill him at Dalarna.One day, Jack meets with Mathilde to test the weapon he has made in the nearby forest. She asks for a few more alterations to it, as well as some special ammunition.While having coffee one day, Clara and a friend, named Anna (Anna Foglietta), see him and come inside to say hello. Clara invites Jack on an actual date, and the two begin to deepen their relationship.One night, as the Swedish assassin follows him, Jack manages to get himself into position for an ambush, but just when he is about to shoot the man from behind, one of his neighbors who rides a Vesta scooter, comes speeding along, alerting the assassin who fires, missing Jack but killing the man on the scooter. Jack takes the scooter and chases after the Swede, who has jumped into his car and sped off. Jack shoots at the Swede, breaking out the back window of the car, then a front tire. The car crashes. Jack has to lay down the scooter to avoid crashing into the car, then gets up and runs to the driver's window, smashing it out with his elbow. He reaches in and grabs the Swede, pulling him partway out of the window, then twisting and breaking his neck.The next day, Jack encounters Father Benedetto while out walking. The father suspects that Jack was involved in the deaths that occurred the previous day and again offers himself to receive Jack's confession. Jack responds by observing that all men have sins, even Father Benedetto, and makes it clear that he has figured out that Father Benedetto fathered an illegitimate son, named Fabio, who works as a mechanic and also gets involved in illegal activities locally. Jack makes use of Fabio to acquire some items he needs to construct a suppressor for the weapon he's building for Mathilde.Jack begins to become suspicious of Clara after he looks through her purse and finds a small pistol. He also follows her and sees her meeting with some rough looking men. He takes her on a picnic where he's prepared to kill her if need be, but when she doesn't make an attempt, he decides instead to confront her about the gun in her purse. Clara explains that she has the gun because of a number of assaults on prostitutes which have occurred in the area. She further explains that the men she was talking to were cops investigating the case.After talking to Pavel one last time, Jack agrees to deliver the weapon to Mathilde, but tells Pavel it will be his last job. That doesn't seem to sit well with Pavel. At the drop off, Jack is on alert, suspicious that Mathilde may try to kill him after she takes the briefcase and excuses herself to go to the ladies room. Mathilde does prepare her pistol inside the ladies room and returns to meet Jack outside the restaurant. They appear about to engage in an old west shootout, but before anything can happen, a busload of students arrive and the kids run between them. Mathilde turns, gets in her car and says goodbye.While driving away, Mathilde is contacted by Pavel, who asks if she has killed Jack. She informs him that she didn't get the opportunity. Pavel orders her to find one. She follows Jack back to town.Jack meets Clara in the crowd at a local religious festival. He asks her to go away with him and she joyfully agrees. Meanwhile, Mathilde has murdered a local citizen in his house and gone up on the rooftop, putting Jack in the sights of the weapon he has just delivered to her.However, when she pulls the trigger, the weapon misfires, the shell exploding into her right eye and she falls back and off the roof. Apparently, Jack came to suspect that he may have been Mathilde's assigned target, so he rigged the gun to misfire. Jack sees Mathilde fall from the roof, so he hands Clara an envelope with money in it and tells her to go to the place where they had picnicked by the river and wait for him.Jack goes to where Mathilde was lying on the ground. She's still alive and he demands to know who she works for. She mumbles that she also works for Pavel and then she dies. Father Benedetto and several altar boys who had been part of the procession, arrive. Jack leaves, apologizing to Father Benedetto, and begins looking for Pavel.Pavel gets the drop on Jack, and shoots just as Jack is turning to face him. Jack is able to get off two shots of his own, one hitting Pavel in the forehead, killing him. As Jack drives to meet Clara at the picnic spot by the creek, he discovers he is bleeding and realizes he has been fatally wounded. As he arrives at the picnic spot, Clara smiles with joy, just as Jack loses consciousness and crashes into a nearby tree... apparently dead.

Tags: avant garde, suspenseful, neo noir, murder, mystery, boring, cult, revenge, violence, flashback, romantic

Review:
The assassin is determined to do one last job before giving up his nefarious profession, but two women are complicating his intentions: fellow shootist Mathilde, played icily by the Dutch Thekla Reuten, and a local prostitute Clara, the beautiful Italian actress Violante Placido.
The sparse script is the work of Rowan Joffe (son of the director Roland Joffe) who has adapted the novel "A Very Private Gentleman" by the British novelist Martin Booth.Clooney is a great lover of all things Italian and this film - which he co-produced - is obviously a very personal work which is likely to be more enjoyed in Europe than in the States..
If you are expecting this to be another Jason Bourne or James Bond-style of movie with elaborate action sequences, tight pacing, and ear-throbbing music...you had better stay away, for you will be sorely disappointed.
The advertising campaign and production photographs gives one the impression that George Clooney is taking on a role in a movie like Liam Neeson did in that marvelously powerful thriller "Taken" released in 2008.
While he is waiting for the right time, Clooney tries to avoid being shot at by assassins, and begins a relationship with a prostitute (Violante Placido) which slowly transforms from lust to love.This is not really an action picture and to a certain extent, it's not even really a thriller.
But for me, and those who really get involved, this is rather fascinating and it doesn't drag on for very long at all.However, the best scenes in the movie revolve around the relationship between George Clooney and Violante Placido, who is effective and charismatic as the prostitute who falls in love with him.
Paolo Bonacelli is compelling as the priest whom Clooney befriends, and Johan Leysen is chilling in his moments as the mysterious individual who always answer his phone with a gruff "Yeah?" "The American" is one of the best movies of the year.
But he finds himself drawn again to another woman, and that complication may turn his employer against him.Clooney gives a great understated performance as the quiet, complex Jack, and he's joined by a pair of excellent, beautiful female leads in Violante Placido and Thekla Reuten.
The publicity from The American suggests it is an action and adventure film, when it is in fact a melancholic and deep drama.I liked The American very much, but I perfectly understand why its slow rhythm and calm narrative would make it inaccessible to those people who expect to see shootouts and explosions.And that is not a problem from the film or from the people, but from the distributors, who did not know how to sell this movie.The American is developed parsimoniously, dividing its time in the methodic way in which the main character constructs a rifle; the flourishing romance among two people who are hungry of affection; and the occasional moments of suspense.Oh, and we also have conversations between the main character and a priest, which contribute to reveal the psychology from the first one mentioned.And all that is framed by the perfect Italian locations, which are full of atmosphere and detail, but without becoming into the idealized brochures from advertising agencies we have seen in movies which were also set in that country (such as Letters to Juliet and Under the Tuscan Sun).I would have said that is an unusual style for director Anton Corbjin, who made many video-clips of Metallica, U2 and Depeche Mode...if he had not already shown his firm hand and measured vision in the excellent film Control.In order to make a relaxed narrative like the one from The American to work, we need a good actor in the leading role, so that we can perceive the thoughts from the main character in an almost intuitive way.Fortunately, George Clooney is one of those actors, and his brilliant performance in The American is one of the best attributes from this movie.The rest of the cast also made a good work, highlighting Violante Placido, Johan Leysen and Thekla Reuten.The brief sequences from The American which could be considered as "action" look almost anti-climatic...like an interruption in the paused routine from the main character.And this is one of the few movies in which the romance is not used as a forced ornament, but as an integral part from the screenplay.The only negative element from The American is that there are a few scenes which feel out of context.However, that minor fail did not avoid me from having a fascinating time with The American, which I very enthusiastically recommend with the warning that you do not have to expect shootouts and explosions..
Not enough "happens." But if you let it envelop you, and if you aren't in a hurry, and if you can see it on a larger screen (to maximize those sensory effects), it might really impress you.Finally, it has to be admitted that the plot is a bit of a borrowing from "Day of the Jackal." Some of the acting is mediocre, too, but not Clooney, and not his one main sexual interest, played by Violante Placido, though she doesn't have a big role.
Yeah, that's more like it.Another thing that makes Corbijn's work so appealing is his star, who is really George Clooney the "actor" this time.
One of the key things to look for is how Clooney acts, calmly and assuredly, and how simply Corbjin films him, as Jack puts together the gun and assembles the pieces.
I would see the film again just for Clooney and how he drew me in with the believability of the resolve and sorrow in his character.Another hard sell this season - an art film in the guise of Hollywood Euro-thriller fare in strikingly gorgeous locales shot by that guy who did music videos for Depeche Mode - but it holds a lot of rewards for the patient and willing..
You can't come straight from having watched Angelina Jolie's 'Salt' or Liam Neeson's 'The A Team' and expect to enjoy 'The American,' which you'll have seen advertised as a spy thriller with George Clooney, so it's only natural to think that it will follow in a similar fashion.
Instead of long winded action set pieces, it has sudden but meaningful bursts of violence which work almost as effectively as in 'Edge of Darkness' to contrast the slow but involving scenes of character and intrigue that worked so well in 'True Grit.' So if your tastes run more toward the mainstream of Hollywood thrillers then maybe this is not the film for you.
However, what if I told you the film contains a car chase, five assassination attempts on Clooney's character, a femme fa-tale who isn't all she appears to be, a suspenseful foot pursuit through a narrow maze of streets with two professional hit men trying to outwit and kill one another, a steamy sex scene, a face to face showdown and a 7 person body count (more than 'The Bourne Ultimatum').
Aided by a fresh and solid supporting cast with the likes of Thekla Reuten (In Bruges), Violante Placido and Paolo Bonacelli, Clooney has a great deal of talent to play off and Herbert Grönemeyer's contemplative music score only underlines and adds to the atmospheric, brooding quality that the film proudly possesses.
Reuten brings a coldly effective steeliness to her emotionless assassin, Placido is immediately likable as Clara, the sweet and loving prostitute and Bonacelli delivers a knowing, world weary gravitas to his philosophical role as the priest that makes you hang on to his every word and whose scenes with Clooney are the forefront for the film's moral statement and raising of questions.
Every single character is revealed to have sinned one way or another and a powerful line from the film is Clooney's response to the priest when being told to seek God's forgiveness, 'I don't think God's very interested in me Father.' Something which could be said for all the characters and all of us in general, as highlighted by Clooney's meaningful line, 'All men are sinners.' Verdict: Not perfect but with wonderful craftsmanship from Corbijin's subtle direction to a powerful, hard hitting performance by Clooney, this is the first of its kind for the thriller genre.
Most "one last job" movies are high-energy action flicks or thrillers driven by a veteran actor playing a character with a troubling back story, but Anton Corbijn's "The American" operates as a character-driven mood piece, a precise and quiet visual portrayal of a man trying to quit his dangerous profession who is constantly haunted and pervasively paranoid.
There is no mêlée of Bourne-style assassin-chasing amid the hillside towns of the Italian countryside, so for many, shots of Clooney doing push-ups and putting together a rifle will become tedious.But "The American" doesn't languish quite as much as it might seem, though it certainly does at times.
You can critique the method all you like and complain about the film's choice to lean towards drama instead of action, but Corbijn possesses a good measure of talent and "The American" will leave a profound impression.~Steven CVisit my site http://moviemusereviews.com.
While the music, composed by Herbert Gronemeyer, is sparse; when it is used, it is to great effect, amplifying the mood of the scene.This kind of filmmaking may leave some people cold, especially in the first half of the film, but Clooney's masterful performance really cements an emotional connection with the audience.
The love story of the film unfolds very much as one would expect with Clooney falling in love with a beautiful Italian prostitute, played by Violante Placido.
No shaky cam, or mile-a-minute pacing, instead we get a perfectly thought out thriller that takes its time to make its characters interesting and believable.The film's beginning and end were superb scenes.
I had no idea what was going to happen and where these characters were going to end up.The American may not be fast paced or action packed, but it is one of the best thrillers I have seen in a long time.
But there you have it: that's THE American.George Clooney, whom I usually enjoy more in his comedic or semi-serious roles (O' BROTHER WHERE ART THOU and BURN AFTER READING being two of my recent favorites) pulls in a dark, interesting, and dangerous character as Jack, a weapons man/hit-man who's retirement from his chosen profession is proving extremely difficult.Making friends is risky to both Jack and those he likes, as we witness early on in the film what he's forced to do to a woman whose innocence means nothing when Jack is discovered in a Swedish hideout.
And when the instructions come, the audience can feel those pin-pricks of caution raising on their necks.The great thing about The American is that Clooney is truly the only recognizable face for many U.S. film-watchers.
We see and feel the battles raging within Jack as he's forced to decide whether to kill someone he's growing close to, or to let them live and risk his own life ...again.Those looking for a kind of BOURNE IDENTITY style flick are going to be sorely disappointed if they think this is in-line with that action-driven drivel.
After his directional debut making Control Anton Corbijn quickly became an in-demand director and his follow-up feature was The American with Hollywood leading man George Clooney.
This subtle slow thriller has divided audiences the world over.Clooney plays an assassin, going by the names Jack and Edward, but often called The American.
This is a film that aims to be a atmospheric, slow burning film, about a character that has to be always on guard and can not let anyone into his world.Whilst I like the idea of a more realistic look into how an assassin would function and trying to be a bit more intelligence to a typical action film, at times The American is too slow for its own good, being too drawn out.
There is some pleasure to be had from their methodical preparations, similar to the much older "Day of the Jackal".Jake/Edwards relationship with his paid companion Clara (Placido) and the local priest are minor diversions but overall this is this is a very slight tale albeit with a reasonable ending.However, it is difficult to know what director Corbijin is desiring from his audience, sympathy is unlikely, certainly this is no thriller nor is it a love story as such.
The attempts to shorten his stay by the "Swedes" are almost comical in nature, many opportunities exist without resorting to skulking around like bad 70's Euro thriller wannabees.At times it feels like the film is travel porn with beautiful panoramic vistas of mountainside villages bathed in evening light, pretty but difficult to stretch over two hours.Based on the book "A Very Private Gentleman" by Martin Booth.Summary Glacially slow and despite some good work by the cast and solid direction, rather an empty film and difficult to recommend to anyone not in the Clooney fan club.The film leaves the audience with a feeling of "what was that all about", a feeling not likely to have them queuing round the block for tickets.http://julesmoviereviews.blogspot.com/.
"The American" is George Clooney in a European movie, complete with a European cast, beautiful women, excellent acting, cinematography, and music.None of the action beats feel clichéd and the emotional impact of the film is powerful despite the understated tone.
Good films today are still being made, and as for George Clooney, he can add THE American, to his impressive body of work..
It goes something like this (First par might contain a spoiler, although such is the total confusion of the film's ending that it might not):Jack (Edward, or whatever his true name is) actually survives that apparently fatal gunshot wound (thereby clearing up the ambiguity of the final scene of the first film.) Nursed back to health by the local prostitute Clara, he's soon again running up and down those narrow, deserted streets of Castello del Monte, calling in as usual for a cup of coffee with the locals in the town café.
The final credits roll up over a scene of the local priest, who tried so unsuccessfully to save Jack's soul in the first movie, now sitting in the doctor's consulting room....George Clooney could surely be persuaded to accept the star role again, on the conditions that he probably demanded for the first film: an exotic European locale and the opportunity to get his hands as often as possible on the voluptuous breasts of his young co-star Violante Placido.
Although the critics say the only thing American about the film is the title and Mr. Clooney, they are rating the movie three out of five stars probably for the cinematography.The film is an adaptation of the 1990 book by British writer Martin Booth (1944-2004)) entitled A VERY PRIVATE GENTLEMAN: the book explains all.
The story is written in the first-person narrative from the point of view of the main character, who is known as Edmund or Signor Farfalla.There are only three major characters in both media (perfectly cast in the film especially George Clooney as Farfalla):...Signor Farfalla, "Mr. Butterfly" is a middle-aged man from a country where English is spoken as a first language.
This is that one movie that most big stars make, and then think back and say "what was I thinking".I would have to believe that George Clooney lost a bet or owed someone money in doing this film, because it was just that bad.
The only thing that could possibly be more gorgeous than the Italian countryside is Violante Placido, the actress portraying Clooney's love interest.*NOTE-- This film isn't for those who seek the cheap, thoughtless, instant gratification that's falling off the Hollywood assembly line these days.
Ironically, his feature follow-up, The American, often comes across as a shallow rock video, with glum gun-maker and possible-hit-man Jack (George Clooney) doing his best to steal our eyes from a series of glorious rural Italian vistas.After a jolting opening scene, which starts like Roger Moore's Bond and finishes like Daniel Craig's, we're treated to a cavalcade of clichés, as Jack escapes to a remote, yet strangely well-served, Abruzzian village, where he meets a priest (The Soul) and a prostitute (The Body) – and of course his destiny, in the form of One Last Job. It's like Michelangelo Antonioni picked up the script for Carlito's Way, stripped out the backstory, and relocated to the hills of his homeland.Clooney is becoming the cinematic totem for the burning male soul – and yet his body has inhabited far more interesting (if less picturesque) worlds in Solaris and Michael Clayton.
There were a couple of things that hit a raw nerve with me but more on that later.I have been watching the talented Mr. George Clooney since his first appearance on TV when I remarked to my wife, "If he gets good management that boy could go places." I liked him in this, a convincing job of portraying this type of personality.
The entire movie is George Clooney brooding and staring, making a gun from auto parts and a tawdry, cheap sex scene which added nothing to the film.
What you may think you might be getting is a tight paced action thriller, what you actually get is a modern day Western.George Clooney plays Jack / Edward, a hit-man and gun craftsman who must hide out in a small Italian town to do a job, but stay hidden from "The Sweedes".
Hell, it's one of the great subversive films of ANY genre from recent years.The titular American is the innocuously named lead character, Jack (Clooney); a sort of mesh of varying action movie genre stereotypes of the last thirty years rolled into one.
The movie is full of multiple sex scenes, some being 10 minutes long, as George Clooney visits various love hotels and prostitutes.
Even James Bond tries to protect those he has had sex with.This might look like it is an action film, but it is actually a drama/suspense movie.