The American: Review

Going into The American, I had heard some very mixed reviews and wasn't expecting to like it. How wrong was I. This is a Hollywood film with a European art house heart and it works.

Jack is an assassin who suffers from paranoia and is a loner. He finds that getting close to anyone is a bad move. While in hiding in Sweden with a young woman, he is found by killers wanting him dead. He shoots them and then runs to a small village in Italy, where he has one last job; to bring a particular gun for a fellow killer. While in hiding he meets local prostitute Clara and once again he finds himself no longer alone but still very suspicious of those around him, including the woman he is slowly falling in love with.

Never have I sat through an American movie with so little dialogue. You could probably print the script off in five pages. It is made up on silences. This helps make for a much more interesting experience. It quietly builds the tension and proves that you don't need words to get your story across.

The scenery is beautifully used and shot and is the perfect backdrop for the an espionage film, being very reminiscent of the 70s thrillers. The cast do a terrific job too, with the standout being the strikingly beautiful Violante Placido as Clara,her eyes alone would make any man powerless.

The film, however, belongs to Mr Clooney, one of the few stars out there who could easily be compared to the movie actors of the 30s and 40s. His performance here is impeccable, as a troubled man who can just as easily shoot someone in cold blood while at the same time suffer from the cold sweats. His commands the screen being in almost every shot, and just impresses.

Those who are looking for a high action thriller will be greatly disappointed. There is one well executed action scene in which Clooney is chasing down a killer in the streets of the village but this isn't a film about action, it's about a man on the edge, having to make decisions about his life and his future. If you are after an intelligent, adult, if quiet film with sudden shocks and violence then look no further.