The American is the tale of a master craftsman named Jack, played by George Clooney, who is surrounded by a world of assassins. In this world of death dealers, Jack is a prized possession for his uncanny ability to manipulate steel, a talent which he uses to build and sell custom fire arms. When I first heard about The American, I was enticed to see what Clooney had been up to since the Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Men Who Stare at Goats. Personally my favorite work of his came in 2005 with the release of Syriana, and honestly I have not found myself as attached to one of his films since.
Let me be the first to tell you that the preview for The American inaccurately portrays the overall mood as well as directorial style created by Anton Corbijn. The film is very slow to start and in order to appreciate the story you must be willing to demonstrate patience and offer your full concentration. If you go into The American expecting to see Jason Bourne, you will be sadly disappointed. However, unlike the Bourne films, The American offers quite a bit of nudity so keep that in mind if you plan on letting children tag along.
The film’s use of classic cinema techniques gives off the aura of the late 60′s and early 70′s, rather than a present day thriller. The use of sounds, including the score, work in unison to deliver a somber mood and not the up-beat feel the previews suggest. I appreciate the homage being played to classic filmography and I think that The American shows that George Clooney is not afraid to take risks at this point in his career; focusing on substance is now his priority.
Ultimately I have to confess that during the first 25 minutes I began to question whether I had just been a victim of bait and switch. The trailers showed me an action movie with George Clooney, but the actual film was more of a work of art. It’s an odd thing to be complaining about a film, for being a well-made film, but that is exactly what I am doing. Once I gave myself the chance to take the film at face value, I was slowly drawn into the story and grew attached to the characters.
In the end, however, I found the plot and chain of events very straightforward. Because of the lack of surprises, the end of the film really did not feel like much of a climax at all and subsequently I left the theater with mixed feelings. Unfortunately I will have to recommend either seeing this at matinee prices or waiting for the DVD or Blu-ray release. I do believe that after reading this review you will have a much better idea on what The American actually is and what it isn’t, so hopefully you will be better prepared for the performance over the next 103 minutes.
GMR Blog Rating: 6/10
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